Michael Vanthourenhout on becoming the Belgian CX Champion - "I am very happy, It was a nice duel between Laurens and me"

Michael Vanthourenhout has been crowned Belgian cyclocross champion, after he defeated Laurens Sweeck for the title.

"I am very happy," he said in the post-race interview. He continues, "It was a nice duel between Laurens and me. I think maybe in the run, he was just a bit better, but in the last laps, I felt it was a bit on. Then I just tried to come out of the running lane first and then go full until the finish. That was enough."

His brother provided him with support and encouragement throughout the race.. "He was already shouting during the race that I had to ride my own race. I didn't have to let Laurens set the pace, I tried that in the last two laps," said Vanthourenhout.

Vanthourenhout faces a unique challenge in deciding which jersey to wear in future races, whether it be the Belgian champion's jersey or the European champion's jersey. “In the beginning, I tried to ride up front for a while to let Eli come back, but I could see that maybe he wasn't having the best day. Then I knew I was on my own. It's nice that I finished it anyway. It's a bit of a luxury problem," concluded Vanthourenhout.