Toon Aerts delighted to be best of the race behind Mathieu van der Poel: " I had tears in my eyes "
Cyclocross
Mathieu van
der Poel wrapped up his 2024 cyclocross season with another commanding
performance, taking victory at the World Cup Besançon. The rainbow jersey
wearer defeated Toon Aerts, who finished in second place, with Niels Vandeputte
completing the podium in third.
Reflecting on
his race, Aerts described the challenges of the Besançon course, "It was
difficult. The climb at the back of the course is certainly something that
hurts. But for the rest, it was mainly about technique. In Hulst, a week ago, I
was still really searching for technique. I had a hard time finding my way
then. But today it went surprisingly well. I have to say that this circuit is
similar to that of Liévin, so that gives me confidence."
Illness had
impacted Aerts’ performances in recent weeks, but he showed determination to
push through, "I may not be fully recovered yet, I feel that everything is
still coming loose in my nose. But at some point, you have to go all-in again.
That was today," said the 31-year-old rider.
Aerts also
spoke about how his recent struggles had affected his confidence, "The
confidence had completely disappeared. If you have to skip a race like Loenhout
– six, seven kilometres from my doorstep – I had tears in my eyes when I had to
make that decision. Riding and winning in Loenhout is a childhood dream. But
that gave me the courage today to make that hour a full one."
In the
closing stages, Aerts maintained his composure as Vandeputte challenged for
second place, "I didn't really get nervous about that. I didn't come here
today with the ambition to win. You know that a Mathieu van der Poel starts
here. And that Niels Vandeputte can do this very well. But I wanted to secure
that podium, so I looked more at Joran than at Niels."
Aerts also
explained his approach to managing the race dynamics,"Niels wasn't going
to take over either, because Mathieu, his teammate, was gone. I just kept doing
my own thing. I rode a high pace, so that Joran didn't come back. And
eventually I was able to get Niels in a gap."
Fin MajorCycling Journalist
Fin Major is a UK-based writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2024. He is the site’s main writer for FAQs and evergreen explainers and has written around 2,000 pieces for the platform. Alongside this work, he focuses on in-depth analysis and covers the biggest races on the calendar, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, providing clear context around performance trends, tactics, and key storylines.
In his reporting, Fin uses reputable data sources such as ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. Outside of writing, Fin is an active cyclist, which supports his practical understanding of the sport and its demands.
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parisbound0008-11-2026 - there needs to be space in life for pointless comments!Ketterechts08-11-2026
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