The podium of the 2023 Men Elite world championships. One for the ages. 🥇 🇳🇱 Mathieu van der Poel 🌈 🥈 🇧🇪 Wout van Aert 🥉 🇸🇮 Tadej Pogacar #GlasgowScotland2023
“I am not thrilled here, but I am satisfied" - Wout van Aert content to settle for second in World Championship road race
CyclingMonday, 07 August 2023 at 09:52
After a truly thrilling day of racing in Scotland, Wout van Aert was forced to settle for second in the men's elite World Championship road race behind the unstoppable Mathieu van der Poel.
“I am not thrilled here, but I am satisfied with this. There was no more in it. Mathieu was the strongest," says a classy Belgian in his post-race interview with Sporza. “I was on his wheel and could hold it for 10 seconds, but then I cracked and he was gone. I then had the feeling that we all thought that second place was the highest achievable for us.”
There was still drama to come in the finale though as van der Poel slipped on the wet roads, hitting the deck. As there are no team radio's at the World Championships however the chasing trio of van Aert, Mads Pedersen and Tadej Pogacar had no idea this had happened.
“Because we have to race without earphones,” he laments frustratedly. "That makes no sense. I can't be critical enough about it. We didn't know anything about that protest either. Today we see a strong leading group and a great duel, but it sometimes influences the race. We are professionals and for us it is normal to race with earphones. It is stupid that we are not allowed to do that in the most important game.”
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