VIDEO: Wout Janssen suffers hypothermia scare in Mol - "After a crash, I became completely hypothermic"

The extreme cold conditions at the Exact Race Mol cyclocross race on Friday caught everyone by surprise, turning the contest into a battle of survival. One of the most affected riders by the cold was Wout Janssen. 

Footage circulating after the race showed Janssen, who finished tenth, struggling to reach the warmth of his camper, visibly shaken and in tears. The Belgian rider, clearly suffering from the cold, had to be helped up the steps, unable to climb them on his own.

“After a crash, I became completely hypothermic,” Janssen told Sporza after warming up. “I was riding in sixth place when it happened and eventually dropped back to tenth,” he explained.

You can watch the video below!

Janssen has been one of the revelations of the cyclocross season so far. The 23-year-old already won one race this season (Grand Prix de la Commune de Contern) and has amassed several top 10 results, mostly in C1 and C2 races. He has been truly consistent in all the UCI World Cup races he has participated in, finishing 13th in every occassion.

The physical toll of the race in Mol has prompted him to adjust his schedule, so he has decided to take some additional rest and skipped the Gullegem Cross cyclocross race on Saturday. He is expected to return to competition on Sunday at the World Cup Zonhoven race, provided he is recovered from the events in Mol.