"I made one mistake too many" - Lars van der Haar settles for bronze medal as an untimely fall removes him from the fight for the title
Cyclocross
Before the start of the European Championships for elite men, Lars van der Haar was considered among the top favorites for the title, but the Dutchman was not allowed to take a seat on top of the podium eventually. Van der Haar finished third, after a far from flawless race.
Van der Haar only really got up to speed after a few laps, after a cautious start. "The mud made it easier to ride your own race on this normally fast course. I only went over the limit in the mud, but Michael is good at that. I immediately knew that he was the man to beat," he told Cyclingonline afterwards.
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Van der Haar started his hunt for leader Vanthourenhout halfway through the race and at one point even came within ten seconds, but then made a mistake. The Dutchman lost his momentum after his slide and, to make matters worse, fell again. "I feel the pain of the falls afterwards. At one point I got to eleven seconds, but I made one mistake too many."
The two-time European cyclo-cross champion then had to adjust his ambitions and competed with his compatriot Pim Ronhaar for the bronze medal. "Pim and I kept each other in the race, but you ride for the podium and then a duel follows. When he couldn't shake me off with his specialty, running, I knew I could beat him in the sprint."
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Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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