Spanish sand in Wout van Aert's engine: "I didn't show much and that's a pity"

Van Aert, backed in Spain by teammates Attila Valter and Tiesj Benoot, did a remarkably long recon before the cyclo-cross. "The legs do feel okay. It was an intensive stage, where I trained a lot. But Saturday, I had a rest day, and during the recon, I was able to do an extra lap, so it was nice to ride around a bit longer on the cyclo-cross bike," he said after the training camp with his team in La Nucia, just north of Benidorm.

From the start, the Belgian did not get through with the best 25 riders in the race. "It felt like a brutal race. I didn't feel very refreshed, and it took a long time before I got to the first group after a bad start. I already knew I was on the limit there, and it wasn't my day. I had to gamble on one acceleration in the last laps, but Thibau was better in the final lap," he complimented eventual winner Nys.

"It was a fast course, and I didn't feel great. That it took so long before I was at the front was already not a good sign," he analyzed his race in Benidorm. "If you have good legs, you immediately bang to the front on the first lap, but I had to settle in. I never really got into the race. It wasn't working out, so it took half a race before I was in front. Unfortunately, it was a catch-up race for me."

Van Aert could still gain a few places on the well-known uphill section in Benidorm. "That's one of the few places on the course where you can advance, but that also costs energy. Usually, that suits me just fine, but I'll say it: I didn't have the best legs, and then I had to gamble on an acceleration."

"I knew I had to spare my energy, but two laps before the end, I already had to close a gap between Lars van der Haar and Eli Iserbyt. After that, I didn't have a clear plan and was just trying to follow. When Thibau went, I was too far away, but he was powerful on that hill," said Van Aert, who was outsprinted in the battle for third by a strong Van der Haar.

The Belgian is not looking for an explanation. "I trained hard, but that's how everyone chooses their preparation, so I don't want to use that as an excuse. One day is just different from another. I wasn't terrible, but I didn't have the legs to make the difference. When I got to the front, I knew Thibau was the one to watch, and how he accelerated on the last lap ... fantastic," Van Aert said.

Nevertheless, he enjoyed the conditions in Benidorm, where he was able to win last year. "Normally, I like to do this, but this was a good reminder that you need fresh legs here. For example, Dendermonde, you can make the difference in fitness and power; here, you must be fresh to push after every turn."

"I didn't feel like I wanted to, and I could not get in the right position, so that is it," Wout van Aeart says. "Unfortunately, I wasn't able to show much. Was it because of the training period? Probably yes, but that's my own choice. I hoped to do better, although I had a great time in front of a fantastic crowd."

"That I would possibly not be refreshed was calculated,' he continued. 'I always want to compete to win, and last year, I had also trained hard beforehand, and I felt better then. We took the same approach as other years but with better legs. Halfway through the race, however, I felt the exhaustion coming."

What is the plan for the next period? "One more weekend cyclo-cross, and hopefully, I'll be a little more refreshed by then. It was a nice trip to Spain. I fly home on Tuesday and hope to finish the cyclo-cross season in Maasmechelen with a better feeling," concludes the Belgian, who will not compete in the World Championships.