"Of course, I'm happy for Sanne, but I would have preferred to win myself" - Manon Bakker about her disappointment in Loenhout

In the absence of most of the Dutch top riders, Manon Bakker started in Loenhout with the ambition to win, but after 45 minutes in the mud and among deep puddles, the Dutch cyclist was no match for her teammate and eventual winner Sanne Cant. Despite her disappointment, Bakker was realistic in an interview with IDLProCycling after the race.

"This is very disappointing. I couldn't smile on the podium. Of course, I'm happy for Sanne, but I would have preferred to win myself," said the Dutch rider in her initial reaction.

"I was just riding at a tempo at the front with the thought that I could always accelerate, but then I reached a point where I started to ride a bit more slowly because it seemed like little was happening," said the Crelan-Corendon lady, who initially seemed to have everything under control. "Then Sanne came by like a rocket, right at the moment I had decided to switch. That was a mistake on my part, I should have kept going."

"From that moment on, I was behind, and it was over pretty quickly. At that point, I also lacked the energy and focus to come back from that," Bakker stated. "I came here with the intention to win. Normally, that would be possible, but not this time. It just wasn't good enough, clearly."