Niels Vandeputte and Marie Schreiber claimed victory in the Parkcross Maldegem. Valid as the fifth stage of the Exact Cross circuit, both races saw their decisive moments during the final lap when the Alpecin-Premier Tech rider and the SD Worx-Protime team athlete made the difference.

In the case of the Belgian, achieving his third season victory after wins at the Superprestige in Gullegem and Dippach, the last to surrender were Belgian Joran Wyseure (Crelan-Corendon) and Spanish rider Felipe Orts (Ridley Racing Team), who had previously broken away with him after Michael Vanthourenhout's pivotal crash in the penultimate lap.

In this way, Vandeputte, who finished third in the same race last year behind Sweeck and Iserbyt, immediately redeemed his disappointment from the Hulst World Championships where, not feeling at his best, he could not finish better than 27th place.

Among the women, Schreiber performed even better. After her tenth place in the Netherlands, today she was able to overtake European champion Inge van der Heijden (Crelan-Corendon), French rider Amandine Fouquenet (Pauwels Sauzen-Altez Industriebouw), and the new Under 23 World Champion Leonie Bentveld (Pauwels Sauzen-Altez Industriebouw) during the final lap, with whom she had already gained an advantage in the first lap.

Fifth, one minute behind the Luxembourg champion, was Rebecca Gariboldi (Alé Colnago Team), who delivered a solid performance that earned her third top ten finish in races held on Belgian soil this season.

FINAL STANDINGS

Men

1. Niels Vandeputte (BEL/Alpecin - Premier Tech Development Team) - 01:00:10

2. Joran Wyseure (BEL/Crelan – Corendon) at 3"

3. Felipe Orts Lloret (SPA/Ridley Racing Team) at 6"

4. Jente Michels (BEL/Alpecin - Premier Tech Development Team) at 16"

5. Ryan Kamp (OLA/Team EKO) at 19"

6. Michael Vanthourenhout (BEL/Pauwels Sauzen - Altez Industriebouw) at 24"

7. Kevin Kuhn (SVI/Heizomat – Cube) at 25"

8. Anton Ferdinande (BEL/Team Shifting Gears) at 27"

9. Witse Meeussen (BEL/Crelan – Corendon) at 29"

10. Guus van den Eijnden (OLA/Team EKO) at 31"

Women

1. Marie Schreiber (LUS/Team SD Worx – Protime) - 48:35

2. Inge van der Heijden (OLA/Crelan – Corendon) at 2"

3. Amandine Fouquenet (FRA/Pauwels Sauzen - Altez Industriebouw) at 4"

4. Leonie Bentveld (OLA/Pauwels Sauzen - Altez Industriebouw) at 10"

5. Rebecca Gariboldi (ITA/Alé Colnago Team) at 1'00"

6. Manon Bakker (OLA/Crelan – Corendon) at 1'06"

7. Lauren Molengraaf (OLA/Team EKO) at 1'14"

8. Annemarie Worst (OLA/Seven Racing) at 1'35"

9. Alicia Franck (BEL/Lotto - X-Oats Athletes For Hope) at 2'06"

10. Julie Brouwers (BEL/Charles Liégeois – Deschacht) at 2'25"