"I made the best of it and then had a great race" - Wout van Aert settles for second behind Mathieu van der Poel at World Cup Maasmechelen
Cyclocross
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.”
Fin MajorCycling Journalist
Fin Major is a UK-based writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2024. He is the site’s main writer for FAQs and evergreen explainers and has written around 2,000 pieces for the platform. Alongside this work, he focuses on in-depth analysis and covers the biggest races on the calendar, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, providing clear context around performance trends, tactics, and key storylines.
In his reporting, Fin uses reputable data sources such as 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. Outside of writing, Fin is an active cyclist, which supports his practical understanding of the sport and its demands.
claps 5visitors 5
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- He is boring
leedorney08-11-2026 - To Twoje przemyślenia te bla, bla :)
Dariusz08-11-2026 - Uwielbiam patrzeć, jak wyjeżdża na czoło peletonu i zaczyna się rzeź...Dariusz08-11-2026
- Yeah, unreal.
parisbound0008-11-2026 - there needs to be space in life for pointless comments!Ketterechts08-11-2026
- That is a very lazy way of putting it but so far on this website it seems like everyone is happy to look at everything lazily, even things that annoy them intensely. All they want to do is state their feeling and position but ask most to analyse a problem or come up with solutions or improvements and you’re stunned by silence. Nobody even really knows how this all happens. It’s very simple and quick to just say the UCI did it but I bet you they didn’t, I bet you not more than 2 people were involved, more likely just 1. The UCI may be ultimately responsible but it is not their decision, this is about hierarchy, power and delegation. The fact that protest is possible also means it isn’t over and that MORE people could get involved for a thorough review which could throw up anything. It is highly likely it was a sole commissar who decided and has that power in a first round. Therein might lie the problem the UCI has to consider, is it acceptable to give so much authority to one single person when it is quite possible for them to have a natural bias or be too easily susceptible to imposed bias. Who is to say an individual in this position isn’t susceptible to collaboration with outside players with interests in the results, nations, families, teams, betting companies, etc. On the one hand we have sports where these problems have been worked on way more to reduce such problems, on the other hand we have sports with far stricter and more draconian rules not even concerning safety or obstruction that nobody really questions like false starts or stepping out of lane or zones in athletics. If cycling hastowork on itself, it would be good if protagonists (all kinds) would start doing a little more than just moaning over outcomes.Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
- Yes, so why not make comments less pointless?Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
- What a race! I didn't expect Vanthourenhout to collapse like that, and Wyseure did take the fight to Nys, but there was no doubt at the end. I also wonder what Aubin Sparfel would be capable of were he to race in the elites now. In the U23 ranks he is making good work of Giel Lejeune, who himself is among the better riders in the elites, and a top 10 contender in the big races (3rd at Kleebergcross, 8th at Berencross and 5th at Heerderstrand). In the French Cup, Sparfel is significantly better than Romain Debord (8th at Koppenbergcross and 10th at the Euros) and Rémi Lelandais (12th at Koppenbergcross and 19th at the Euros).
Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026 - There really was nothing in it. Schreiber was so much faster, and Brand was fighting to stay in the wheel in the sprint. Schreiber did move a bit, but to say she closed the door doesn't make sense because Brand couldn't enter it anyway, abd she wasn't impeded.Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026
- He should have been allowed to go to Movistar. Right now both arent a good fit for each other and are just wasting each other's time and effortabstractengineer08-11-2026
Loading
Write a comment