"Because Mathieu was so outstanding I was unable to finish" - Florian Vermeersch lapped but happy with return to cyclocross

Florian Vermeersch made his return to cyclocross at the Exact Cross Mol where he finished 12th. A satisfying result for the Belgian who is a rare presence in the field, however he was still lapped by Mathieu van der Poel on the day.

“It actually went quite well. I think I rode a good cross. In the first lap I had a good start, but my chain fell off. As a result, I was hit back quite hard and it really became a race to catch up. Ultimately I was able to get to twelfth place, but because Mathieu was so outstanding I was unable to finish," Vermeersch told Wielerflits at the end of the race.

He frequently uses cyclocross as preparation for the road season, however as a rare presence he cannot participate in World Cups. Nevertheless, Mol was a good starting location, and he rode to 12th. Only 10 riders finished the race however without being pulled out, as a combination of short laps and an in-form Mathieu van der Poel saw very few resist the charge.

“Being taken off race is never fun. I was also quite close behind Tom Meeusen, who was able to finish and finished tenth. So that's a shame. Anyway, I'm satisfied," he claims however. "I'm already looking forward to the next one. Three days in a row, that will be tough. Then it's over for me, because then the preparation for the road season follows.”

Vermeersch, who was second at the Gravel World Championships and is a fan of off-road racing, will start his season on the road in early February and prepare for the spring classics. “After that I prepare for the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne. That is one of my first big goals. After that I will basically ride all the classics from Milano-Sanremo to Paris-Roubaix. That will be tough.”