Michael Vanthourenhout on his performance in Gullegem: "I am satisfied after a week of a lot of training. I'm on the podium again"

The third position was the best Michael Vanthourenhout could do in the Superprestige Gullegem. The European champion was no match against the winner Wout van Aert in front.

"In the beginning, it all went pretty well, but then I started making more and more mistakes," Vanthourenhout said in the post-race interview. At one point, Vanthourenhout tried to make a move, but van Aert stayed close to him and didn't let him get away.

During the final laps, Vanthourenhout had several issues with his bike, including punctured tires. "In addition, I rode another puncture. At least I had my share of bad luck. I did feel good in the beginning, but because of that puncture, I fell a bit alone, and it was hard to get back to Eli. All in all, I'm content to still be on the podium," said Vanthourenhout.

The rain made the race more challenging for the riders because the course was slippery. It took him some time to get into a rhythm, but by then, van Aert had already pulled ahead."It took some adjusting, a lot had changed after the reconnaissance. Everyone had trouble with the course in the beginning. In itself, I can do that well, so it's unfortunate that the puncture took me out of the race a bit. I made some mistakes to close that gap back. But I am satisfied after a week of a lot of training. I'm on the podium again, and the feeling was pretty good," concluded the European champion.