Mathieu van der Poel only managed to shake off Thibau Nys in Gavere during the final laps. After following several attacks from the strong Belgian champion in the first 45 minutes, the world champion no longer expected to arrive solo.
"It was difficult to make a difference. Thibau was really strong," Van der Poel recounts in the flash interview with Sporza. "I honestly didn’t expect to drop him. After Nys launched his attack, I decided to really push for a lap. He made a small mistake on the wheel, which gave me some space. Otherwise, I think it would have come down to a sprint."
After his victorious ride in Gavere, Van der Poel now has two days off. The world champion is not expected back until three days from now in Loenhout. Van der Poel will therefore skip the World Cup race in Dendermonde, despite rumors in recent days. "We did have doubts. After consulting, we decided to stick to the plan. Normally, I won’t start," he concludes.
Mathieu van der Poel
