"Technically not my best race," Van Aert says with some sarcasm, but his heart rate offers hope

Wout van Aert rode his last cross of the season at the World Cup in Maasmechelen. The rider from Visma l Lease a Bike made a competitive impression but crashed just as he got to the front of the race. The Belgian was not very satisfied with his own technical skills, but he was satisfied with his condition. Today, my average heart rate was as high as my maximum in Benidorm. That says quite a lot," he told IDLProCycling.com after the cross.

On and around the mine pits in Maasmechelen, Van Aert competed in only his fifth cyclo-cross race of the season. Already in the first two laps, he hit a pole, crashed after a catch-up race in a descent, and later again on the slant. "In the end, it was more than three mistakes in the whole race," Van Aert said. "It was unfortunate because I felt good. I was hungry for it and was able to move up pretty well in the beginning."

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(No) battle with Van der Poel for Van Aert

"That Mathieu was still on Joris Nieuwenhuis' wheel when I joined was the signal for me that Mathieu was still waiting a bit. But I wanted to break open the race and go for it," he said. "Without pausing on their wheel. Every second you miss, you might come up short at the end. And when I made that attack, I made the first significant mistake. It was frustrating because there could have been more of a battle. Of course, I was far behind because of those mistakes, but that's part of the race."

Van der Poel and Van Aert faced each other in Maasmechelen for the second and final time this cyclo-cross season. "I would instead have been able to do the battle without crashing and consequently drop out. I had hoped things would be different, but it's my fault. After that fall, and because my handlebars were out of alignment, I also had a bad passage on the slant first. Then, I didn't dare to go full-on for a while. But when I dropped guys, I got back into a good rhythm, although I couldn't catch up to Mathieu then. So, I didn't focus too hard on the difference anymore."

A few seasons ago, we saw Van Aert fall in the cyclo-cross far less often than last Saturday in Maasmechelen. Does that have to do with the fact that he doesn't ride cyclo-cross races as frequently as he used to? "I think so," Van Aert said. "I had also chosen to set my tires harder for the stones still under the mud. I didn't go flat, but it might not have been the best choice. There were a few factors, but at least technically, it wasn't my best race."

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Van Aert during cross in Benidorm

Fresher feeling than in Benidorm 

Van Aert finished the race in second place at one minute fourteen behind Van der Poel. Still, he seemed noticeably better than last week in Benidorm, where he finished fourth. "I had a fresher feeling today; it is as if I had hoped to ride my previous cyclo-cross race. It's hard to estimate, but I looked at my heart rate after the race, for example. Today, my average heart rate is as high as the maximum heart rate I achieved in Benidorm. That already says quite a lot."

Van Aert was left with a good feeling about his cyclo-cross season. He had a difficult time mentally, especially after the serious crash in the Tour of Spain. It meant yet another bad crash and rehabilitation. "Actually, the cyclo-cross winter has brought me more than I thought. I was tempted not to race cyclo-cross this winter. After my crash in the Vuelta, I had a difficult period in the fall. By the way, I am very happy that I did a few cyclo-cross races. But I didn't expect that I could win races or that I could reach this level already."

"I've enjoyed cyclo-cross immensely. It's crazy to see how many people come to watch us and to be able to ride in that ambiance. That reminds me of my first pro year when Sven Nys and such were still around. I enjoyed that."

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No Van der Poel against Van Aert at the World Cup

No, really no World Championships: "You have to perform there if you participate"

Another topic of conversation today: next Sunday's World Championship in Liévin, France. What is the biggest reason for Van Aert not to extend his cyclo-cross winter to the World Championship? "If you start counting, I can ride Oostmalle a week later because that's another week later," Van Aert laughed.

"At some point, you must decide to favor your road training. But I do admit that is not the only reason behind the decision. It's more because you have to compete at the World Championships if you participate there. Today, I had a lot of fun and a good training incentive with that second place. But a World Championship is a goal, and you live towards it. That is a significant difference with this race."

Read also

📸 Van der Poel vs. Van Aert = expensive cars, huge crowds, and concerning news: "Broke my rib"

Nieuwenhuis tried to keep up with Van der Poel and Van Aert, but knows: "This was the best possible result"

📸Mathieu arrives in 'his' Hoogerheide with a cool Lambo, Nys shows what his big goal Is

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