In recent cyclocross races, Wout van Aert repeatedly faced off against Mathieu van der Poel, but in Heusden-Zolder, he was bested by another Dutchman. Tibor Del Grosso defeated the top favorite after a thrilling finale and sprint, and was naturally very happy with his first elite victory in a stage race.
"It was really cool to sprint for the win in a race like this for the first time," the winner said after the race in a flash interview with Telenet Play Sports. A sprint was necessary, but Del Grosso showed no signs of stage fright. "I was quite calm. I was happy that we had a good lead over the chasers."
"So I could really play my cards right. I'm actually surprised Wout didn’t attack a bit earlier. That allowed me to pick the perfect moment in the sprint. In a finish like this, with this crowd, you can really push your effort a bit longer. I was still afraid Wout might come back, but I was confident after my jump."
photo: Fotopersburo Cor Vos
Del Grosso was already thinking about victory before the start. "I was really determined to be at the front. During the race, I never dropped beyond second place. It was great that the two of us could break away. That definitely makes the race a lot simpler."
In previous races, the Dutch champion seemed to struggle a bit with his back. How was it at Heusden-Zolder? "Today was a bit more tactical and you also had more moments to rest. Last weekend was very tough, but today it went well."
photo: Fotopersburo Cor Vos
Telenet Superprestige Heusden-Zolder| Rank | Rider | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 58:48 | |
| 2 | " | |
| 3 | + 12 | |
| 4 | + 13 | |
| 5 | + 14 | |
| 6 | + 17 | |
| 7 | + 20 | |
| 8 | + 30 | |
| 9 | + 35 | |
| 10 | + 39 |
