The first race in the Superprestige was won by Niels Albert. It’s already the second victory of the season for the Belgian champion. Styby had a good start, but was unable to turn it into a podium place. Our world champion finished sixth.
“I knew from the start that I wouldn’t make it. I never got into a good rhythm and also made a lot of mistakes,” he said after the race. A good analysis, as our Czech was gifted the lead after the first lap, but couldn’t take advantage of the situation.
The opposition struggled with slips and equipment issues, which left Styby in the lead. Bart Aernouts took over the pursuit after a bike change and looked to be off on his own. But an alert Niels Albert was able to close the gap within a lap.
Styby tried to match Albert’s pace, but slipped in the Belgian champion’s track. “Then Sven Nys, Klaas Vantornout and Bart Wellens passed me. I’m not too bothered by it. I was out for a week with an injury and trained hard in Mallorca. So sixth isn’t too bad.”
Albert was able to stay upright and rode away from Aernouts with two laps to go. The victory also gives him the overall lead in the Superprestige series. Zdenek got five points from the race. “Nothing lost, right. I’m looking forward to the race in Ardooie Thursday. After that I’m going to the Czech Republic for the World Cup.”