Lars van der Haar reveals how he helped defeat Wout van Aert at World Cup Benidorm: "I did not expect to ride on the podium on such a fast circuit"
Cycling
Lars van der Haar claimed a hard-fought podium finish at the
World Cup Benidorm, securing third place by beating Wout van Aert in the final
stretch. The result marked a return to form for the Baloise Trek Lions rider,
who had not reached a podium since November. The race was won by his teammate
Thibau Nys.
After the race, Van der Haar admitted that he hadn’t
anticipated such a strong performance. “No, not at all. I have never done so
well here. I did not expect to ride on the podium on such a fast circuit,” he
told Wielerflits.
Reflecting on his performance, Van der Haar noted the
improvement he’d felt following the Christmas period. “But I felt really good
during the Christmas period. It just never really came out then. I did come out
of the Christmas period better than last year, so maybe that made the
difference,” he said.
In the race’s final laps, Van der Haar played a pivotal
supporting role for his teammate Thibau Nys, who went on to win. “Because I
knew I couldn’t beat Eli in the final lap, because of the barriers. We rode
together at the front, but I knew I shouldn’t pull through with him. So I
focused on Thibau in the final laps. That worked out well. I was very happy
that I was able to pull off a podium myself,” he explained.
Van der Haar also shared his thoughts on Van Aert’s
performance in the final stages. “Yes, but he did do something. He just had to
come a little too late. He couldn’t come earlier, which allowed us to hold him
back a little. Then he had to cycle the entire cycle path. That way we were
able to beat him again towards the finish,” he said.
Fin MajorCycling Journalist
Fin Major is a UK-based writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2024. He is the site’s main writer for FAQs and evergreen explainers and has written around 2,000 pieces for the platform. Alongside this work, he focuses on in-depth analysis and covers the biggest races on the calendar, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, providing clear context around performance trends, tactics, and key storylines.
In his reporting, Fin uses reputable data sources such as ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. Outside of writing, Fin is an active cyclist, which supports his practical understanding of the sport and its demands.
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