"A flat tire ruined that result" - Wout van Aert laments bad luck pushing him out of Antwerp World Cup battle
Cyclocross
Wout van Aert made his return to cyclocross today but as has happened in the past, his first race was more marked by bad positioning and luck then by his performance. The Team Visma | Lease a Bike rode home in seventh place on the World Cup Antwerp, a result he doesn't feel represents what he was able to do.
Van Aert started a row behind Mathieu van der Poel, but was able to catch his wheel in the first minutes of the race. However, as the World Champion moved up through the field, van Aert couldn't hold his wheel, and was in no position to respond to the Dutchman's acceleration on lap 2 that created the winning gap.
"This sport is as hard as it's always been. Suffered from the first minute," van Aert shared in a post-race interview. He was disappointed with the outcome of the race. Although he did not have the legs to contest the victory, a podium position was possible and he was in the mix with the likes of Laurens Sweeck, Joris Nieuwenhuis and Tibor del Grosso in the first laps of the race.
But on lap 5 he would suffer a mishap that would take away a lot of time and his rhythm. "Think I was in the mix for the podium but a flat tire ruined that result. But overall a good feeling. Straight after the first pit zone there were a few tricky sections to puncture, one moment not concentrating enough and I hit the front wheel and it immediately went flat".
He managed to ride inside the Top10 throughout the rest of the race, but the lack of racing in the discipline was visible, as in a few moments his technique was not the best, but he did not have the legs to move up the field for a second occasion.
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A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
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Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
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- Mmmm would he be making these comments when he was on the richest team when riding. I think not i suspect. If we want money put into the sport we need sponsors who are prepared to put the money in. No disrespect but his team are 2nd or 3rd div in football terms with riders over the hill or 2nd string riders. If i was a sponsor i would be looking at what publicity am i getting back and Tudor really are just making up the numbers really.paultryan200214-11-2026
- I see (elsewhere) that Alaphilippe had more to say than what got relayed in this stub. Me: he was very good early but his latter third trajectory was the pits. His old boss did what he could (huffed and puffed) but Julian couldn't get his greatness back. Sometimes I wonder if crashes that didn't look like much changed the course of the rider.flyer14-11-2026
- I wouldn't classify it as a gift because the nasty consequences of taking it from Sepp would have been great and would persist and he knew it.flyer14-11-2026
- Ok. Tratnik's good and Red Bull's better so Tratnik may get what he wants.flyer14-11-2026
- Ok. So just saying he wasn't enjoying racing anymore is some kind of explanation? Me saying I don't enjoy his explanation is more explaining than he did.flyer14-11-2026
- Buitrago, was he their best rider in 2026? He's the chief loss for them and Martinez and Tiberi (especially) have to step up or they will be overtaken by Bahrain's younger riders like Omrzel. I'm still somewhat high on Martinez but Tiberi, after showing signs of promise, has fizzled. Bahrain still has a good team but they need to improve and exceed expectations. I'd be happy if Mohoric could manage to return to his better form for maybe one last year at least.flyer14-11-2026
- Hmmm, "... I just gained 30 seconds purely off the bike. Because it's really a big, big improvement compared to the previous bike". Is that marketing for Specialized or serious valid hype, or something in between? Very likely the former.flyer14-11-2026
- Nothing revelatory or controversial. Why do we have to report on Bruyneel's or Armstrong's thinking. It's a shame and enough that the Move's on TV and that people watch it .flyer14-11-2026
- Makes sense that training from home is a big asset or advantage but it's still remarkable that he can put in three quality majors and not pay some heavy price for the exertion. I wish he would have won that tour stage that his crash while leading allowed Carapaz the win. He's a darn good rider and teammate.flyer14-11-2026
- Sounds like we all agree with the over under exaggeration: "The German’s signing does not guarantee that Evenepoel will win the Tour in 2027. "flyer14-11-2026
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🇧🇪 #CXWorldCup Seventh place for Wout in his first cyclo cross of the season. 😀
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