Wout van Aert and Dendermonde have been the perfect match for years. The 31-year-old Kempen rider won three of the last four editions and was therefore the big favorite to repeat that feat, especially in the absence of world champion and dominator Mathieu van der Poel. However, A course completely reshaped by drought threw a wrench in the plans for the Visma | Lease a Bike leader.
Right from the start of the race, it was clear that these were not Van Aert’s preferred conditions. In the extremely fast corners, he lost meters and positions compared to his fellow cross riders, costing him energy.
"Two laps from the finish, things went wrong." I didn’t want to lead on the road section towards the finish, so I let a few riders come through. Before I knew it, I was sixth instead of second. It didn’t calm down anymore, gaps appeared, and the race was over," Van Aert sighed in front of our camera.
Afterwards, he immediately went to his camper and took a solid fifteen minutes to cool down before he spoke to the press. Was he a bit hard on himself after that missed opportunity? "Of course I wanted to do better than sixth today, that’s true. But that’s the sportsman in me. Winning is always tough, and I didn’t see this as a golden chance. If Mathieu isn’t racing, the chances for everyone else are obviously higher. But beating the rest is also difficult."
Fast course
The former champion mainly struggled with the fast course. "It was a tough race. The first ten riders were close together. The results could have been very different. But I came here to compete for the win, and I never did that. I didn’t feel great either. Not as good as in previous races. I struggled with the explosive accelerations; I wasn’t aggressive enough. I hope I’ve made it through and that it will be better in the coming days."
Van Aert gave it a go in Dendermonde - photo: Fotopersburo Cor Vos
But that doesn’t mean Van Aert gave up. Fifteen minutes before the finish, he gave it his all to break clear from the others. "Only, it didn’t go fast enough when I attacked. I think everyone tried at some point, but really making a difference was almost impossible."
Something Van Aert hasn’t experienced in his cyclocross campaigns over recent years. "Back then, I was used to the second half of the race settling down more, and everyone finding their position. Now, you suddenly see many riders still have gas left for a final. Maybe the level is closer now. On the other hand, we haven’t had such a dry Christmas period for years. That also plays a role."
No excuses
As usual, the three-time world champion doesn’t look for excuses. He won’t blame the conditions. "This is still cyclocross. Maybe the course should have been a bit tougher to allow for more laps. You could also say it needs to be tougher. But in other years you’re up to your knees in mud here and it’s more than tough enough. Cyclocross always has to do with conditions."
In Loenhout, those conditions won’t be any different, and there he will face Mathieu van der Poel again. "How I rode today says a lot about a fast race." It’s not going to get any faster. It’s really sprinting from turn to turn. Then other guys will come through."
"Today just wasn’t my best. I really struggled with the series of accelerations. In Loenhout, I hope to be a bit better than today," the Kempen rider concludes.
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UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup - Dendermonde| Rank | Rider | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 01:01:29 | |
| 2 | + 02 | |
| 3 | + 05 | |
| 4 | + 06 | |
| 5 | + 08 | |
| 6 | " | |
| 7 | + 12 | |
| 8 | + 15 | |
| 9 | + 25 | |
| 10 | + 34 |
