Michael Vanthourenhout wins HG Cross in Meulebeke

Michael Vanthourenhout of Pauwels Sauzen-Altez won the HG Cross in Meulebeke, securing his second consecutive victory in the series. The race was characterized by heavy rain and muddy conditions that made the course treacherous.

Despite a difficult start where his team missed the initial launch, Vanthourenhout managed to catch the leaders mid-race. He utilized a strong acceleration in the final lap to pull ahead of Jente Michels and Niels Vandeputte, both of Alpecin-Premier Tech, finishing with a narrow one-second margin. This victory marked the third consecutive win for the Pauwels Sauzen-Altez team.

In the women’s category, Luxembourg’s Marie Schreiber took first place with a time of 46:32, finishing ahead of Aniek van Alphen and Lucinda Brand.