On a difficult day for the U23 race, Van den Eijnden secures first podium: "What happened is extremely intense"

The cheerful Van den Eijnden is, of course, very proud of his performance, as it marks his first podium finish in the U23 category. Earlier this year, he had already finished second in two Czech races, but finishing at the front in the Belgian mud is of a different caliber. His smile gives it away. "Yes, yes, it's my first time on the podium."

"I already had a bit of a feeling that it could happen," says the Cyclocross Reds rider, standing next to the train station in Lokeren. "It's a U23 race, so I did hope to make the podium. And look, here I am."

The 19-year-old Van den Eijnden is having a good year overall. He started with two second places in the Czech Republic and continued that trend in elite races like Woerden (sixth) and on Saturday in Rucphen, where he finished seventh. Last week, he placed eighth at the European Championships in his age category in Pontevedra.

How does a race with only U23 riders compare to an elite race? "Now I was on the front starting row, that’s the biggest difference. But I didn’t have a great start, so I had to chase right from the beginning, going full throttle. And in the end, it’s a bit shorter, which also makes a difference," says Van den Eijnden, who is in his second year as a U23 rider. "The step up to the U23 level is quite big, at least that’s how I experienced it. But after a decent summer, I feel that I have also made progress and that I can now compete."

The race in Lokeren began with a minute of silence, following the death of Belgian junior Miel Dekien – who participated in the Koppenbergcross last week – in a car accident in Diksmuide earlier this week. "That’s tough. What happened is extremely intense. It is on your mind a bit, but then you try to quickly switch focus. It’s always a bit shocking. It shows how fragile things can be," Van den Eijnden shares about it.