Quinten Hermans after silver in Nacht van Woerden - "I would have liked to have won, but Lars was simply better"

Lars van der Haar secured victory at Nacht van Woerden. Quinten Hermans gave a tough competition to the Dutchman, but he couldn’t stop him from crossing the finish line first.

"Of course, I would have liked to have won, but Lars was simply better," Hermans told WielerFlits. Hermans and Van der Haar were on equal footing halfway through the race but Van der Haar managed to create a five-second gap and extended it further in the last lap to secure the victory.

Even so, Hermans is content with his performance and is not bothered by his second-place position. "Coming second is certainly not bad. Of course, I would have liked to have won, but I have to be honest: Lars was just better. He went just a little bit faster through the corners. I haven't fully grasped the cross feeling yet. I can already ride the bike fast, but at the moment, I'm still losing too much in the corners,” said Hermans.

A confident Hermans is looking forward to the European Cyclocross Championship in Namur. By participating in cyclocross races, he is trying to get into his best shape before the race. "The EC is a totally different course, though and not comparable to the cross in Woerden. I am using this period to ride many more crosses in a short period of time to get better. I feel that this is the case. I have now ridden three crosses in quick succession. That is the key to get the cross feeling," concluded Hermans.