Van Aert was not "comfortable" with high pace set by Van der Poel: "Glad I finished within the time limit"

The big duel between Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel was settled in favor of the Dutchman. Van Aert managed to resist in the early rounds of the cyclo-cross race in Mol, but he had to let Van der Poel go after about fifteen minutes in the sandy sections. The Belgian finished second, more than a minute behind the winner.

"There wasn't much more I could do," the Flemish rider immediately concluded in the post-race flash interview in Mol. "Mathieu quickly put pressure on me, and as a result, I made a lot of mistakes in the sand. I wasn't comfortable with the pace. That's why I couldn't counter, especially with so many sandy sections here."

The pace was already high in the Antwerp race from the start. "Mathieu started off quickly. And when you're already under pressure, it gets harder and harder. But in the second part, I had my own pace, and it became a bit more comfortable." From that moment on, the Jumbo-Visma rider could ride his own lines, but the bird had already left the nest.

Van Aert glad he finished within the time limit: "But that wasn't my doing"

"I would have liked to be in the mix for longer, of course, but I'm not disappointed. I had taken that possibility into account. It is what it is. The sand doesn't lie, and the true dynamics were quickly revealed," Van Aert commented. Due to the fast pace of the race, only ten cyclists managed to finish within the time limit. "But that wasn't my doing," Van Aert chuckled. "I'm happy I finished within the time," he added with a wink.

The day before the cyclo-cross race in Mol, Van Aert was present at his team's presentation. "That was a tiring day," he mentioned. Nevertheless, the versatile rider decided to cycle to the race venue in Mol in the early hours before the race. "I would have done that regardless. It was also necessary to get the engine running."

That engine will continue running for a while. The day after the cyclo-cross race in Mol, Van Aert, along with Van der Poel and Tom Pidcock, will compete in the Antwerp World Cup.