The hard part is behind Wout van Aert. The Belgian couldn’t keep up with Mathieu van der Poel in Antwerp but was seriously in contention for the podium until a flat tire killed his chances three laps from the finish. He ultimately ended up in seventh place. After the race, Van Aert shares his feelings. "I’m mainly tired and it was tough, but I generally felt good."
"I had a good chance for the podium, but the flat tire ruined that," he analyzes. "At one point, I had a gap for third place on the podium and felt among the stronger chasers. My legs are simply at a good level as I hoped, only the technique still left something to be desired. I hope to fine-tune that in races over the coming weeks."
Van Aert also talks about the furious early phase. The Belgian had to advance from the third row and got onto Van der Poel’s wheel but then had to let him go. "Before the start, I was hoping for room on the outside corner and that came through, but then I really pushed hard to keep up. When Van der Poel went, my mind said: follow, but my legs simply couldn’t."
Finally, the Belgian draws a conclusion. "It didn’t get easy," he finishes. "But this was a fun cross to start with. These efforts will make me better because I hadn’t really trained for this kind of effort yet."
Wout van Aert
