Sinterklaas Brings Gold for Cant, Van der Poel at Waaslandcross Sint-Niklaas – Results, Quick Report

With Sunday’s World Cup Namur looming on the schedule, some riders opted to get a tune-up by racing on Saturday at the Soudal Classic Waaslandcross Sint-Niklaas. Conditions were relatively dry a the course that takes place partly at the beach.

Elite Women

In the Elite Women’s race, Sanne Cant (IKO – Beobank) and Loes Sels (Pauwels Sauzen – Vastgoedservice) quickly got off the front while Katie Compton (KFC Racing p/b Trek Knight) and Yara Kastelijn (Steylaerts – 777) gave chase. In the second lap, Compton gapped Kastelijn to take over solo third while Cant and Sels extended their hold on the lead.

Finish dames #Waaslandcross #SoudalClassics pic.twitter.com/nVgV3v0Uez

— Soudal Classics (@SoudalClassics) December 22, 2018

The two Belgians together into the last lap, with Cant allowing Sels to dictate the pace early in the bell lap. When Sels put a foot down in a sandy corner, Cant pounced on the opportunity to attack. Sels recovered and caught up with Cant at the steep ups and downs, but was unable to retake first position.

Cant hit the finishing straight first and Sels, already at her limit, conceded the sprint to Cant. It was a another masterful last lap for Cant, who has now won three races in December after winning three the first three months of the season.

Compton held on to her third spot to get on the podium in the first race of the second half of her 2018/19 European campaign. Emily Werner (Amy D. Foundation) finished 27th.

Elite Men

In the Elite Men’s race, the dry, fast course helped produce a giant group of eight riders at the front for the first few laps. For the first three and a half laps, Mathieu van der Poel (Corendon – Circus) was content to sit third wheel and let others do the work at the front.

In Lap 4, he finally went to the front, and only Quinten Hermans (Telenet Fidea Lions) could follow him. A convenient mistake / brake check from Tom Meeusen (Corendon – Circus) in the sand the following lap helped Van der Poel and Hermans extend their lead. Meeusen then bridged to the leaders, making a lead selection of three.

Interview winnares Sanne Cant #Waaslandcross #SoudalClassics pic.twitter.com/mYLIulagsT

— Soudal Classics (@SoudalClassics) December 22, 2018

A lap later, Van der Poel made another move, this time dropping Meeusen and opening up a small gap on Hermans. Van der Poel extended the lead, keeping Hermans comfortably 15 to 20 seconds behind him.

Van der Poel went on to win by 14 seconds. He has not not won a race since Koppenbergcross on November 1.

Hermans took second and Meeusen finished third. Kerry Werner (Kona Maxxis Shimano) finished 13th.

Full results are below.

Featured image: Bart Hazen

Elite Women Results: 2018 Waaslandcross Sint-Niklaas

Elite Men Results: 2018 Waaslandcross Sint-Niklaas