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European champion Michael Vanthourenhout (Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal) put in a dominant efficiency within the frozen circuit of Val di Sole to take his fifth win of the season.
The Belgian was among the many leaders from the very begin of the hour-long race and pushed on solo on the midpoint of eight laps within the snow and ice of northern Italy.
He took the victory, his second World Cup triumph of the season, by 39 from Niels Vandeputte (Alpecin-Deceuninck), who had been the final man to stick with Vanthourenhout till the fourth lap.
The battle for second was a fiercer one, nevertheless, with Swiss champion Kevin Kuhn (Tormans) and World Cup chief Laurens Sweeck (Crelan-Fristads) battling it out lap after lap a handful of seconds behind Vandeputte.
Ultimately, it was Kuhn who prevailed to solo to 3rd and safe his career-best World Cup consequence. He completed 42 down, two seconds up on Sweeck.
“It was actually good at the moment so I am pleased with that victory. It was a pleasure to experience for the Italian individuals,” Vanthourenhout mentioned after the race. “I attempted however I believe everybody makes lots of errors. It was very arduous. I did my very own factor.
“I believe Niels had a flat tyre. My very own tempo was very excessive, I believe, and I attempted to carry that tempo excessive the entire race. For me, it was sufficient for the victory.
“It was very tough however in such races, I do very effectively.”
Elsewhere, it was a uncommon off-day for Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck), who began the day on the second row and by no means acquired to the entrance of the motion. He misplaced time to Vanthourenhout and the leaders on every lap and ultimately completed in an unfamiliar eighth place at 3:14 down.
Former European champion Eli Iserbyt (Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal) additionally suffered within the snow, crashing out of the group behind Vanthourenhout on the fifth lap of the race. He got here down arduous and was clearly in ache earlier than ultimately being stretchered off, very like his teammate Fem van Empel within the girls’s race.
Iserbyt and Sweeck had been a part of the primary chase group on the opening lap earlier than coming throughout to Vanthourenhout, Vandeputte and Kuhn on the second lap as Van der Poel appeared to be making sluggish progress 16 seconds again.
On the subsequent lap, Vanthourenhour and Vandeputte confirmed their energy to make it two out entrance, placing a while between them and the chasers. It might find yourself proving to be the decisive transfer of the race, with Vanthourenhout managing to go solo earlier than the halfway level.
He had put 12 seconds into Vandeputte by then, with a rear wheel puncture holding up the Alpecin-Deceuninck rider, whereas the chasers raced on at 30 seconds down. That will be as shut as anybody else acquired to Vanthourenhout, although, with the 29-year-old having the measure of the sector within the icy situations.
Along with his victory solely appeared extra assured because the laps handed by, the eye turned to the rostrum battle. Vandeputte did not come underneath a lot strain, although, however just a few errors late on noticed him end only a handful of seconds up on Kuhn.
The Swiss rider and Sweeck loved a spirited battle over the closing laps, however he ultimately prevailed on the penultimate lap of the race, pushing on to open a niche and safe the ultimate podium spot.
The ultimate consequence brings Vanthourenhout up into second general within the World Cup standings. With 265 factors now lies 13 factors down on collection chief Sweeck, having leapfrogged Iserbyt, who stays on 249 factors.
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