"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."

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."