Nys triumphs in thrilling duel with Iserbyt to win Superprestige Overijse

The Superprestige series had reached its second race for the men. The first cyclocross race in Ruddervoorde in Belgium was surprisingly won by Jordan Wyseure, who held off Niels Vandeputte and European champion Michael Vanthourenhout. Last year, Iserbyt won in Overijse, and he returned for this year's race after serving a suspension for the well-known incident involving Ryan Kamp.

The start of the men’s race was less decisive than the women’s. A large group was formed, led by Vandeputte and Thibau Nys. The young Belgian later took the lead, but the pace was not yet intense, resulting in a tactical beginning. On the final uphill stretch of the second lap, Nys showed his strength, indicating he was in better form than in Ruddervoorde, where he finished outside the top ten. In the third lap, Iserbyt took the lead, landing his first punch.

Suddenly, Nys found himself sidelined with a mechanical issue. He slipped in a tight corner and dislodged his chain, having to fix it himself and losing about ten positions. This was the moment for the European champion to accelerate, creating a gap while teammate Iserbyt held back behind him. Nys impressed with a quick return to the front, but by then, Vanthourenhout had created a ten-second lead. The Belgian champion controlled the chasers well until Nys took charge, quickly gaining ground and setting off in pursuit of the leader.

Iserbyt rejoined, and Van der Haar, who had been relatively invisible throughout the race, also snuck into the group. This caused the solo leader’s advantage to shrink rapidly. Nys caught up, with five riders now in tow, including Vandeputte, Jente Michels and young David Haverdings. However, during Iserbyt’s acceleration, only Nys could keep up, and the gap behind them quickly grew. With two laps remaining, Nys took the lead, but the group bunched up again, leaving five riders in contention.

The Baloise Trek Lions rider intensified the pressure, but Iserbyt, Vandeputte and Van der Haar held their ground. Vanthourenhout fell behind, leaving four men to contest the final lap. There was a back-and-forth between Iserbyt and Nys, trading the lead. They were clearly the strongest riders in the race, setting up what seemed to be a repeat of last year when Iserbyt took advantage of a fall by his fellow countryman. This time, however, Nys created a small gap on an incline and didn’t let it go. He secured his first win in Overijse, a place where his father had triumphed six times.