"I was shivering and shaking at the finish": Toon Aerts survives brutal Zilvermeercross conditions to take second

What initially promised to be a long-awaited classic duel between Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert came to an abrupt and painful end during the snowy cross in Zilvermeercross Mol. After their showdown in Loenhout had rekindled hopes of an old-fashioned rivalry, bad luck intervened today, forcing Van Aert to abandon a cyclocross race for the first time in his career.

The decisive moment came when race leader Van der Poel began to drift through a corner on the slippery snow. While the world champion narrowly managed to save himself, Van Aert, riding directly behind, had no chance to react, sliding straight into the barriers.

Although he remounted, his discomfort was immediately evident. Moments later, he drifted into the material post and abandoned the race, limping away as team staff attended to him. His knee was bleeding (the same knee that has troubled him before) and he visibly struggled, especially with his ankle. 

Van Aert's crash allowed Van der Poel to secure an eighth victory from eight starts this winter, ahead of Toon Aerts and Felipe Orts.

Toon Aerts secured one of his best results of the season. "You know what it is: as a kid, we used to watch cyclocross, and in those conditions, my brother Thijs and I would go racing in the snow ourselves after 16 hours. I really enjoy playing in the snow like that," he said in quotes collected by Sporza.

He said the cold only became difficult to endure in the final part of the race. "During the race, the cold wasn't too bad, at least until the final laps. My brake pads were also worn down by the sand, and braking like that with cold fingers isn't easy. I was shivering and shaking at the finish, because the cold had gotten to me."

Aerts also expressed concern for Van Aert, hoping he wasn't seriously injured. "I also hope Wout's injury isn't too bad, because I saw the imprint of his fall in the snow. I kind of got his second place."

Felipe Orts, meanwhile, appeared in the interview tent clearly enjoying the unusual conditions, especially for a Spaniard. "I'm feeling good this Christmas season after a difficult season. And I also felt at ease in the snow."

The Spaniard added with a grin: "Where I live in Alicante, it never snows. I'm happy because the course was technical and I made a few mistakes on the slippery asphalt, but I really enjoyed it."