Superprestige #6: De Knegt scores on Christmas Eve

Dutch rider Gerben de Knegt (AA drink-Bejan) has notched up his biggest career victory by beating Sven Nys (Rabobank), Erwin Vervecken (Fidea) and John Gadret (Jartazi) in the 6th Superprestige race in Diegem, Belgium. The race finished in a four man sprint and De Knegt was far too quick for the rest. Bart Wellens (Fidea) was fifth after suffering mechanical problems today.

"This is fantastic, I've always wanted to experience this," said a delighted De Knegt to Belgian TV following the race. "Nys and Vervecken were looking at each other the whole time and that was good for me. I definitely didn't feel the strongest of the group, but they couldn't get rid of me. In other 'crosses I've gone too hard from the start, but now I stayed calm. This is fantastic."

Sven Nys, who increased his lead in the Superprestige standings over Bart Wellens, commented that he had based his whole race on Wellens. "I rode full gas the whole time and was also at the end of my tether at the end," he said. "On the downhill, everyone could always recuperate a bit and you couldn't really get clear. I was lucky not to ride into Wellens' wheel after his unlucky crash. I kept riding fast then so that he couldn't come back."

Vervecken said that he used most of his reserves in attacking during the race, trying to make it hard. "Through that I was left a bit short in the finale. I thought that I wouldn't even make the top 10."

Read the entire Superprestige #6 race report here.