"Where did he crawl out of again?" - experts scratch their heads on Michael Vanthourenhout's European title

The European Cyclo-Cross Championships in Pontchâteau are over again and that means that there is plenty of time to talk about what we as cycling fans have seen. Cyclo-cross riders Paul Herygers and Ruben Van Gucht from Sporza did just that.

"Vanthourenhout is the winner. We have to call a cat a cat: it was hardly talked about beforehand. Where did he crawl out of again?" 36-year-old Van Gucht wonders. "It is unimaginable," says 60-year-old Herygers. "I had some contact with his brother Dieter Vanthourenhout and he said that he was riding around with really weak legs. In Maasmechelen he was completely exhausted."

"He had also said before the season that he didn't want to get in shape too early and that the championships were the most important thing. But it surprises me that he would win with the legs of the past weeks," Herygers continues.

Thibau Nys, who had a real off day and ultimately left the race, is also reviewed by the Sporza men. "Nys has been put on a pedestal in recent weeks. As it happens, he quickly fell off again. Should we argue for moderation," Van Gucht asks Herygers in that context, who has a clear answer to that. "I think so, as many people already do. Forget the fact that he is unbeatable from now on. I do think that Nys will score somewhere again within the next fourteen days, but winning again and again against Michael Vanthourenhout, Sweeck and Iserbyt is not possible yet."