Wout van Aert mainly aims for a podium spot in X2O-cross of Hofstade

At his season debut in Antwerp, Wout van Aert was not yet able to compete for the win, but can the Belgian today put pressure on his eternal rival Mathieu van der Poel? Van Aert is certainly looking forward to the battle at the Sport Vlaanderen domain in Hofstade.

"There are some nice sections and the beach definitely appeals to me," said the leader of Visma | Lease a Bike before the start at Sporza. "But if I may be a little critical: it’s a bit too technical in the forest. There might be a few too many corners there, but other than that, it’s a nice course."

In Antwerp, Van Aert still didn’t fully come into his own technically; how does he feel now on the cyclocross bike? "It’s going a bit better technically, but sand is a combination of power and technique. When you’re tired, your technical skills automatically get worse."

Van Aert is motivated regardless for his second cyclocross race of the season. "I’m always here to give it my absolute best. That was the case in Antwerp as well. I was still far from first place then, but I was already able to compete for the podium. I hope to do that today as well."