Wout van Aert had to settle for second place at the World Cup Maasmechelen as Mathieu van der Poel made a stunning return to cyclocross, overcoming a broken rib to claim an emphatic victory. Van der Poel crossed the line 1 minute and 14 seconds ahead of his long-time rival.
After the race, Van Aert shared his thoughts with Wielerflits, acknowledging the challenge of the day. “It was definitely a great race,” Van Aert said. “It was a very tough course due to the conditions today. This was the best we could achieve today.”
Reflecting on his performance, Van Aert admitted he may have been overly eager at the start. “Maybe. I was really keen to get to the front quickly at the start of the race because I was never in the race last week in Benidorm due to that bad starting position. I really tried to get to the front as quickly as possible. When I launched the attack in the second lap, I made a stupid mistake.”
Despite the setback, Van Aert remained optimistic about his effort. “I think that’s a shame. Mathieu eventually rode far away from me, but I would have preferred to fight for a while. I did have the feeling that it was possible. After that it was difficult. Would I have been closer without that crash? Of course I would have been closer, but I’m not going to say that I could have won if I was a minute behind. It did throw me off balance for a bit. It’s different when you can race for the win than when you’re immediately forced to chase again. I made the best of it and then had a great race.”
Van Aert also reflected on the challenging course. “I liked the lap we were allowed to do the first time, without the sloping side, better,” he laughed. “I didn’t really find the right feeling there. Then it’s in your head and it only gets worse. I wasn’t afraid of falling, because the speed was very low. But no, it wasn’t my favourite part.”
The race in Maasmechelen marked the end of Van Aert’s cyclocross season, which he summed up with mixed feelings. “It was a short winter,” he said. “It wasn’t the season I was hoping for, but given the injury I ended the previous road season with, it was wise to minimize the number of races. I really enjoyed the races I did do. I also achieved good results, so I look back with a good feeling.”