Lars van der Haar: "I really wanted to win today. I have tried everything"

Lars van der Haar won the World Cup in Maasmechelen and today he looked set for a second big win this season. However he lacked the power in the final laps in Troyes and had to settle behind Eli Iserbyt.

“I had good legs, but I was defeated today. I really wanted to win today. I have tried everything," the Dutchman said in a post-race interview. "I had some trouble getting to the front on my own so early, I had trouble finding the right pace. Since I didn't have anyone with me, I couldn't see what might have been better lines. You just did what you thought was best.”

Van der Haar attacked solo off the front in the first lap and got a strong gap. Having a big engine, it seemed as if to catch him would be impossible, even when Eli Iserbyt set off chasing him. That wasn't the case however, as a few laps later the bridge was made. And then a mistake opened the winning gap: “Then I made one small mistake. I thought: I'll quickly switch bikes and then focus on Eli."

"I saw that he took one or two lines much better than me. As a result, he immediately put a lot of pressure on me. I had to adjust my tactics and also take those lines. That puts me at a bit of a disadvantage. I couldn't accelerate anymore and he won," van der Haar, who was disappointed with the loss - Baloise - Trek Lions' first at the World Cup this season. "He beat me clear and fair. That hurts."