Wout van Aert arrived in Dendermonde for the next UCI CX World Cup as the clear favourite, especially without Mathieu van der Poel on the start line. He’s also won three of the previous four editions. The Visma – Lease a Bike rider knows the course better than almost anyone. On Sunday, however, the Belgian never truly found his rhythm on a circuit transformed by weeks of dry weather.
From the opening laps, it was clear the conditions did not exactly play to his strengths. The redesigned course was fast. It was also packed with sharp accelerations, making positioning crucial. Van Aert lost ground through the corners and spent much of the race fighting to stay near the front rather than dictating it.
Legs weren’t having it
“The feeling just wasn’t great,” he said afterward to Wielerflits. “Compared to previous races, I struggled with the explosive efforts. I wasn’t aggressive enough.”
The decisive moment came late. With a couple of laps to go, Van Aert hesitated on the paved section heading toward the finish line. He made the decision not to go to the front. “I let a few riders come through, and suddenly I was sixth instead of second,” he explained. “Once the gaps opened, it was over.”
Despite the result, Van Aert didn’t exactly like the suggestion that this was a missed golden opportunity. While Van der Poel skipping changed the dynamic, he said there were plenty of other fast ‘crossers. “If Mathieu isn’t there, the chances are bigger for everyone, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy to win.”
Modern ‘cross is changing
He did attempt to force a selection towards the end. But, as he said, he didn’t quite have the oomph to get clear. “Everyone tried something, but making a real difference was almost impossible,” he said.
Van Aert also said how modern cyclocross racing has changed, particularly in dry conditions. Riders were holding speed deep into races (they averaged around 30 km/h, which is wild given the run-ups) and the field remains tightly packed. “That’s cyclocross. It’s always about adapting.”
Next up is the X2O Trofee Loenhout on Monday, where Van der Poel is expected back. “A race like today shows how hard these fast courses are for me,” Van Aert said. “I hope to be better there.”
Thibau Nys finally made the decisive move inside the final kilometre. The Belgian champ forced his way to the front and held off Tibor del Grosso on the finishing straight. That marked his third World Cup win of the season. The result moved Nys to just three points of overall leader Laurens Sweeck. Tyler Clark was the top Canadian finisher in 28th. Earlier in the day, Farland Lamont led the Canadian junior men in 25th, while Liam Sargent was best among the under-23 men in 43rd.