"I feel like I'm getting better and better in recent weeks" - Michael Vanthourenhout optimistic towards major objectives of his season

Michael Vanthourenhout was often in the lead in the Superprestige Ruddervoorde, but a victory was not an option. He finished in third place. Yet Vanthourenhout is still satisfied, he explains in a flash interview afterwards.

"It could have been a lot worse, considering that I was almost overtaken by six or seven men on the last lap. But of course I was not rewarded for the work I did. But there is still a lot of great things to come. That's why I'm trying to work hard on the race to get even better."

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Vanthourenhout thought it was an exciting cross in Ruddervoorde. "Until halfway through, things kept coming together on the road. I have done a lot of work," said the European champion. "Maybe too much, because there was also a lot of wind. The intention was to be at the front for every climb, otherwise you would always have to chase. I may have been in the lead a bit too much, but maybe that's why I ended up on the podium."

How were Vanthourenhout's legs? "At the beginning I felt really good. I really felt like I could make a gap. It worked occasionally, but I never had the legs to keep it up. At the end you could see that it was a bit deflating," says the 29-year-old rider, who has a positive feeling about Ruddervoorde towards the European Championship. "I feel like I'm getting better and better in recent weeks. I hope that a few more percentages will be added towards tomorrow. Then there will be a very tough race in between with the Koppenberg and we will see next week."

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