Lars van der Haar wins Superprestige Series Final, Iserbyt wins first title
Eli Iserbyt may not have won Saturday’s Superprestige Series final, but he wrapped up his first career overall title by finishing second. Iserbyt also won the 2021-2022 World Cup title. The winner on the day was Lars van der Haar, who added victory to a World Cup triumph, a European title and a silver medal at Worlds this season.
Heading into Saturday’s race, Iserbyt led Toon Aerts by four points at the top of the standings. Aerts opened the scoring for Gieten before Iserbyt won three in a row. Wout Van Aert took the next two wins before the Diegem round was canceled due to COVID-19 concerns.
Aerts grabbed the hole shot but another Toon, Vandebosch, wanted to lead the string on Round 1. Aerts sifted the line a bit. Iserbyt, Aerts, Daan Soete and Michael Vanthourenhout were Vandebosch’s closest pursuers on the line.
It would be Soete who would sew things up from the start Round 2. Van der Haar, Jens Adams and Laurens Sweeck worked to bridge the gap. The field at the business end of the race was a septet heading for the third circuit.
Van der Haar took the reins Round 3. Iserbyt hit a root and crashed. Van der Haar started working for Aerts but Iserbyt did not give in. Indeed, Iserbyt, Aerts and van der Haar made up the leading trio at the end of the lap.
Van der Haar fled early in Round 4 and Iserbyt found his tire, but Aerts was uncoupled. As Aerts and Vanthourenhout close in, van der Haar moves away again. Aerts and Vanthourenhout were 26 seconds behind at the end of the fourth circuit and Iserbyt was still chasing.
It was on the fifth of nine rounds that van der Haar has put a chasm between him and the World Cup champion. Vanthourenhout places Aerts in his rearview mirror and joins Iserbyt. Van der Haar started riding the riders.
When Aerts returned to the Pauwels Sauzen duo on Round 6, Vanthourenhout attacked. The Sauce Boys couldn’t get rid of Aerts, who went ahead of the chase.
With three laps to go and van der Haar 53 seconds ahead, the main competition became the battle for the podium. Aerts made a push on Round 7 put real estate between him and Iserbyt. Iserbyt returns but Vanthourenhout remains behind.
On the bell tower, Iserbyt stuck it to Aerts on the long, gentle climb. Aerts could not answer. Aerts, winner last year, would finish third on the day and second overall; his consolation will come on Sunday when he clinch his first X2O title in Brussels.
2021-2022 Superprestige Series Round 7 Gavere
1) Lars van der Haar (Netherlands/Baloise Trek Lions) 59:08
2) Eli Iserbyt (Belgium/Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal) +1:08
3) Toon Aerts (Belgium/Baloise Trek Lions) +1:40