"Mathieu was great, he was on another level" - Little to do for Wout van Aert in another battle with van der Poel

Wout van Aert finished second in Mol and in Antwerp, and now also in Gavere. On all occasions behind a Mathieu van der Poel that he could not match, and this Tuesday was no exception.

“Halfway through the second lap, on the long climb, I went a little over my limit. That's something you shouldn't do in a cross like this. I think I lost thirty seconds or so on the next lap," the Belgian shared in a post-race interview. "With how things went from then on I was happy with how things went, but in the beginning Mathieu was great, he was on another level. The mud was quite sticky. Every lap it became more difficult to stay on the bike."

The Jumbo-Visma rider was unable to match the attack of van der Poel in the first few laps of the race and then it was virtually race over, unless something big happened. However the World Champion managed to stay upright on the bike and van Aert had to settle for second place. He was still above the rest of the competition, but his first big win of the season will have to wait at least one more day.

“In principle, I like a course like this with many running sections, so I wanted to make it difficult for him in the beginning and see how long I could stay near him. But on the second lap I made a mistake trying to match his pace," van Aert admits. Although he shows good form, he's not quite at the same level as his rival for the time being. "At least I didn't ride away. I am happy with how the second part went, but for now I have to be satisfied with the level I am reaching now.”