Vandeputte wins the sprint in Merksplas as Lucinda Brand returns to top form after her crash

Niels Vandeputte claimed a brilliant victory at the 2026 Merksplas Superprestige, held in Belgium on Saturday, November 14. The Belgian rider was involved in the fight for the win right down to the final meters, eventually taking the sprint ahead of Joran Wyseure. In the women's race, Lucinda Brand returned to competition with a victory after crashing earlier this week in Niel.

Niels Vandeputte takes the win in Merksplas as Lucinda Brand makes a winning return

The Belgian rider continued his strong run of form with a victory on home soil. After a closely contested race, Vandeputte proved the fastest in the sprint to take the win ahead of Joran Wyseure.

The men's race was held on an especially fast course, where it was difficult to open up gaps. After three of the eleven scheduled laps, 23 riders were still together in the leading group.

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One of the most delicate moments came in the fourth lap when a fall by Gerben Kuypers and Michael Vanthourenhout resulted in the latter's abandonment. The incident also affected Joran Wyseure, who had to regain positions to return to the front group.

Orts remained at all times among the candidates for victory and in the eighth lap managed to open a small gap alongside Niels Vandeputte and Yordi Corsus. However, his pursuers reconnected shortly after.

The race entered its decisive phase when Corsus attacked in the ninth lap and gained a few seconds of advantage. Wyseure was in charge of neutralizing the breakaway and, from that moment on, began to impose a pace that definitively selected the group.

At the start of the last lap, there were still seven riders at the front, including Felipe Orts. Wyseure continued to increase the pressure and managed to ensure that only Vandeputte and the Spaniard could stay in the fight.

FELIPE ORTS ON THE PODIUM IN MERKSPLAS The Spaniard delivers a spectacular performance in a race of pure survival. Victory for Niels Vandeputte. #SPMeksplas #Superprestige https://t.co/TiyaClAwGt

— Eurosport.es (@Eurosport_ES) November 14, 2026

The three arrived together at the resolution of the race, where Niels Vandeputte took advantage of his greater sprint speed to surpass Wyseure and achieve his first victory of the season. Orts crossed the finish line third, just two seconds behind the winner.

With this result, Wyseure takes the lead in the Superprestige overall with 52 points, while Felipe Orts rises to second place with 44 points, tied with Kevin Kuhn.

Superprestige Merksplas 2026 Results – Elite Men

1. Niels Vandeputte (Alpecin-Premier Tech Development Team) – 1:01:24
2. Joran Wyseure (Crelan-Corendon) – +0"
3. Felipe Orts (La Vila Joiosa-Fundación Euskadi) – +2"
4. Yordi Corsus (Pauwels Sauzen-Altez Industriebouw) – +5"
5. Joris Nieuwenhuis (Heizomat-Cube) – +5"
6. Kevin Kuhn (Heizomat-Cube) – +7"
7. Jente Michels (Alpecin-Premier Tech Development Team) – +8"
8. Mees Hendrikx (Team Bomba Join) – +16"
9. Victor Van de Putte (Charles Liégeois CX Team) – +19"
10. Ryan Kamp (Team Bomba Join) – +22"

Lucinda Brand returns with victory after her fall in Niel

The women's race left another of the big headlines of the day. Lucinda Brand once again demonstrated her strength just three days after suffering a fall in Niel that forced her to abandon the race due to an ankle injury.

The world champion was able to start in Merksplas and ended up winning in a very close race, with constant changes of pace and several riders fighting for victory until the last moments.

Fem van Empel was one of the protagonists at the start, while Sara Casasola and Inge van der Heijden also showed themselves to be particularly active. Brand began to make a difference in the fourth lap, although her rivals managed to neutralize her attacks.

The equality remained until the last lap, which began with five riders still in contention for the win: Brand, Casasola, Van der Heijden, Aniek van Alphen, and Leonie Bentveld.

The race ended up being decided in the sandbank, where Brand managed to surpass Casasola and open a small gap that no one could close.

The Dutchwoman crossed the finish line with a time of 49:58, two seconds ahead of Inge van der Heijden and three ahead of Sara Casasola. Aniek van Alphen finished fourth and Fem van Empel, who had been one of the most combative during the early laps, finished sixth.

Despite Brand's victory, Van Alphen retains the lead in the women's overall with 52 points, just two more than Van der Heijden.

Superprestige Merksplas 2026 Results – Elite Women

1. Lucinda Brand (Baloise Verzekeringen-Het Poetsbureau Lions) – 49:58
2. Inge van der Heijden (Crelan-Corendon) – +2"
3. Sara Casasola (Crelan-Corendon) – +3"
4. Aniek van Alphen (777TV CX Team) – +9"
5. Leonie Bentveld (Pauwels Sauzen-Altez Industriebouw) – +13"
6. Fem van Empel (Specialized TMRW) – +16"
7. Denise Betsema (De Ceuster-Bouwkranen) – +18"
8. Kristýna Zemanová (Crelan-Corendon) – +23"
9. Julie Brouwers (Charles Liégeois CX Team) – +29"
10. Manon Bakker – +34"