Van de Paar witnessed teammate Menten crash into a tree in the apocalyptic GP Monseré: "Everyone was shivering from the cold"

Jarne Van de Paar clinched a rain-soaked edition of the GP Monseré on Sunday afternoon. The 23-year-old sprinter from Lotto Dstny won after a sprint from a reduced peloton, beating Timothy Dupont and David De Dekker.

"I managed to keep myself warm throughout the race and had a super good day," Van de Paar said in a press release. "I came straight from the UAE Tour, and this was quite a shock. Despite the drastic temperature change from the Emirates, these are conditions I love. I saw everyone around me shivering from the cold, but I managed to keep warm all day. Only when I took off my jacket in the last round did I feel how cold it was. But then the good legs took over. I really had a very good day."

Van de Paar believed in his chances but saw teammate Menten crash into a tree

"As a team, we managed to stay attentive throughout the race. We positioned ourselves well and stayed focused at the front, especially approaching the climbs. I'm always scared of losing, but everyone tells me to believe in myself, and the team had chosen me as the sprinter today. Dupont and Dekker were strong contenders, but I couldn't have asked for a better lead-out. It's a pity that Jacopo Guarnieri had gear problems. Joshua Giddings and Lionel Taminiaux did an excellent job. I'm incredibly happy with this victory."

The Belgian team had less positive news about Milan Menten. The Belgian sprinter abandoned the race well before the finale after crashing into a tree. The 27-year-old from Limburg reported that he was briefly unconscious and was taken to the hospital. There, it was determined that Menten had sustained a mild concussion, but fortunately, the diagnosis revealed no fractures.