"I enjoyed myself" - Mathieu van der Poel has fun in Mol en route to dominant victory

In the first meeting of Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert this winter, it was the Dutchman who triumphed at Exact Cross Mol and in truth, it was a relatively easy win for the world champion.

“I felt very good. I rode well through the sand and that was the most important thing here. Then you can quickly make a difference," van der Poel reflected in his post-race interview. "I had organized my race and my round well. I was able to recover to ride error-free in the sand. And like I said, that's the most important thing here. I enjoyed myself."

Although by the time the race finished there was over a minute between van der Poel and second-placed Wout van Aert, van der Poel doesn't think this is a sign of how the rest of the season will go. “It concerns people more than us. Wout indicated that he is tackling the winter without being in the best shape. That seems smart to me in his case," he says. "I think he will definitely make it difficult for me in other races and sit at the front. He is really going to win a few this season.”

Nevertheless, Friday in Mol was van der Poel's day. So good was the Dutchman that only 10 of the 61 starters were able to finish within the 80% cut off time. “It's a short lap and also a very fast lap. So the 80% rule is quickly applied. I had good form and a good pace without going over the limit. This way I could continue to drive good times. Of course it is not much, but not everyone was at the start here.”