08/01/2023

Wout van Aert destroys competition in Zonhoven's sand dunes to take World Cup win

Wout van Aert secured victory at the UCI World Cup Zonhoven. He pulled ahead of the other competitors in the third lap and held on to the lead to earn his eighth win of the season.

Laurens Sweeck got off to a good start, with Mathieu van der Poel just behind him. Wout van Aert and Michael Vanthourenhout were initially farther back but eventually caught up and moved to the front. Van der Poel fell into a sandy section but did not sustain any injuries.

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In the second lap, Van Aert began to attack and put pressure on the other riders aggressively. Van der Poel and Vanthourenhout responded to his efforts, but the other competitors fell behind. Van der Poel ultimately crashed due to a mechanical issue, allowing Van Aert to take the lead.

Although Van der Poel was able to continue the race, Van Aert had already pulled ahead by 30 seconds. During the following laps, Van Aert further increased the gap to over a minute. Sweeck and Vanthourenhout were vying for third place