Laurens Sweeck leads World Cup race after 8 rounds - "I've never been in such a good position"

With eight rounds of the UCI Cyclocross World Cup in the books, Laurens Sweeck is in pole position. When asked his thoughts about overall victory, Sweeck was defiant. "The overall victory is certainly a goal."

Finishing 4th at the latest round in Antwerp, Sweeck couldn't quite reel in Michael Vanthourenhout and secure a podium spot. “I fell short," he told Sporza. "I was riding alone. I missed a wheel to sit in. Michael Vanthourenhout didn't stop, so I just didn't manage to catch him. He was my target. But I think this is an orbit that doesn't lie. Today's best riders are on the podium.”

Competition for overall World Cup victory is fierce. With Sweeck currently in top spot, Eli Iserbyt and Michael Vanthourenhout aren't far behind and with Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel back in the cyclocross fold, it looks set to be a thrilling few weeks of racing.