"Wout was a class stronger" - Little to do for Jens Adams against Wout van Aert

The Cyclocross Essen could've been the first victory for Jens Adams in years, however the Belgian had the bad luck of facing Wout van Aert. He raced to second place but accepted that little more could be done against such competition.

“Wout was a class stronger. This was the highest achievement for me, I achieved my goal. At the beginning of the cross I still had some left, but when he accelerated I quickly realized that it was going too fast," Adams told Wielerflits following the race. Until lap 4 the race looked quite tight, but as the Jumbo-Visma rider accelerated just after the half point of the race, Adams had no legs to react.

He was the one who managed to respond the best however. Adams rode to, like last year, a second place in Essen. A strong result, ahead of Thijs Aerts, however he wouldn't be close to the victory.

“I was also very cold towards the end of the cross, which made it difficult to survive towards the finish. It was a tough cross, especially with that running lane. I am satisfied with the result, things have been going well lately," he concluded.