Ronhaar thinks Van Aert dealt mental blow to Van der Poel, Vandeputte defends disadvantaged Adams

Pim Ronhaar and Niels Vandeputte are usually among the frontrunners in cyclo-cross races, but neither managed to impress on Sunday in Hoogerheide. The Dutch Ronhaar (Baloise Glowi Lions) put in a decent effort and finished 11th, but the Belgian Vandeputte (Alpecin-Deceuninck) came in 23rd. On Sunday, the two will face off at the World Championship.

Ronhaar seemed to be regaining his form, as evidenced by a second-place finish at the Dutch National Championship, but things have not been going well lately. "Mentally, things could be better," he said on Laurens ten Dam’s Live Slow Ride Fast podcast. "Maasmechelen was just a shitty race — I had a lot of bad luck. Hoogerheide was okay, but definitely not where it should be. At least now we know why."

The main reason is Lyme disease, which he was diagnosed with last summer. This led to a rocky start to Ronhaar’s cyclo-cross season. "All those problems, all summer long... By the end of a cyclo-cross season, you really start to feel it. Everyone is a bit worn out by now, of course, but for me, it hits even harder."

That’s why he’s looking forward to the rest period that is on the horizon. But first, there’s the World Championship, where he hopes to deliver a strong result alongside Mathieu van der Poel. "I’ll give everything I’ve got in every race. Sometimes that means a fifth place, other times the maximum is 12th. So be it. Just one more push, then next summer I'll go hard again. That’s all I can do right now."

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Vandeputte fell ill but heads to Worlds with confidence

Vandeputte, who also joined the podcast, has been one of the most consistent riders of the season. That made it all the weirder to see him so far back in the field during the race in the Netherlands. It turns out he fell ill during a training camp in Spain. Once he was back at home, he tried to just keep cycling and get over it. "In the afternoon, I felt it was more than just fatigue. Then I got a fever, and that was still in my system."

The 24-year-old Belgian became quite ill and started coughing. He skipped the Maasmechelen World Cup race but decided to start in Hoogerheide, even though it was against his better judgment. The World Championships will be a tough challenge, but Vandeputte remains optimistic. "The main thing now is to get completely healthy, and then I can head to the Worlds with confidence. I’m really looking forward to it, but it does depend on my health."

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Ronhaar excited about Van Aert’s participation: "It’s great, isn’t it?"

Vandeputte will compete alongside his compatriot Wout van Aert, who decided after Maasmechelen to join the World Championships in Liévin. Ronhaar believes world champion Van der Poel might have been taken aback by the decision. "Shocked is a big word, but he probably thought, ‘Oh, fuck.’ It might have been a small mental blow. But I think it’s great, isn't it?"

Vandeputte wasn’t surprised but felt bad for those affected by Van Aert’s late decision. "Personally, it doesn’t bother me much, but I did feel bad for the guys still fighting for that last spot, especially Jens Adams. If I’m not mistaken, this is his last cyclo-cross season. He’s been performing really well these past few weeks, and he rode a very strong race yesterday," he added, referring to the Hoogerheide World Cup.

Ronhaar and Vandeputte will face off in France, possibly even more intensely than usual. It promises to be a classic cyclo-cross rivalry: the Netherlands vs. Belgium. "As far as I’m concerned, we’ll keep it clean," said Vandeputte. But Ronhaar was already in fighting mode. "If it comes down to it, he’s going into the barriers," he joked. "I can already tell, I’m being way too nice," the Belgian replied with a laugh.

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