He pulled ahead in the final lap after a fierce battle with Kamp and van der Poel. “I had to wait and see, but in the penultimate round everything suddenly went well. I pulled through at a time when the rest had attacked.”
He will start his road racing season next month at the
Tour of Oman, and this win gives him confidence heading into his first race of the season. “If I had lost now, I would not have been in a bag in ashes. But conditionally you have to be in order to compete for victory in the cross. Even if the field of participants is smaller, like here. So it does give confidence for the road season,” concluded the Belgian rider.