Inspiring ride and third place for Pim Ronhaar in Baal: "I could immediately join Mathieu and Wout"

Pim Ronhaar has been having a breakthrough season this winter. A winner already in Dendermonde and Dublin, the Dutchman loves the muddy tracks, and was the only one able to keep up with Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert in the opening section of the race.

“It was really tough. I couldn't go super deep, but my basic pace was very high. I could immediately join Mathieu and Wout. I wanted to join in, because it makes a difference if you can sit in the wheel on some parts and maintain the high pace," Ronhaar argued in a post-race interview. "I lasted quite a while. Wout fell through for a moment with Mathieu, but later he accelerated. Third was the highest possible.”

Ronhaar still put a tough battle to the Team Visma | Lease a Bike rider, for second place. However the conditions were horrid and van Aert still had the form to be the best of the rest, behind an unbeatable van der Poel. “But I have really taken a step compared to last year," Ronhaar confirms.

"I can now ride above my speed in the first few laps and get back to a high pace. I don't fall silent anymore. At the beginning of the season there was the occasional bad race, but I am very satisfied with how things are going now. Although the X2O Badkamers Trofee is not a goal for him, he continues to be in a position where, on paper, a World Cup victory is possible as he and his Baloise - Trek Lions teammates Joris Nieuwenhuis and Lars van der Haar try to hunt down Eli Iserbyt.