Does Van Aert's cancellation affect spectators in Mol? “Shower radar in particular plays a role”

They were already looking forward to a duel between Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel, but the spectators of the Zilvermeercross in Mol will only see the world champion in action. A setback for ticket sales?

The Zilvermeercross had a great scoop this season: the first cyclocross with Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert at the start. Until the Belgian had to cancel yesterday due to illness.

Organizer Erwin Vervecken also thinks it is “very unfortunate”. “We had already surpassed our pre-sales figures from last year on Friday. We did see the Wout and Mathieu effects.”

Will any doubters drop out due to Van Aert's absence? “It's difficult for us to estimate that,” he says. “You always have doubters, who mainly look at the rain radar and then decide.”

“I think it will only make a small difference, but we'll see. As an organizer you have no control over something like that.”

As an organizer you have no control over something like that.

Erwin Vervecken

Vervecken may get a new chance on Friday, because the two tenors will also be at the start together in Loenhout. Although the question remains whether Van Aert will have recovered from his stomach flu.

“I didn't hear him myself,” says Vervecken. “It is the team that will communicate.”

“You can of course interpret a stomach flu in different ways. Either you feel miserable and you can't leave the toilet, but you also have a stomach flu that means your stomach is a bit upset, but you can still train on the rollers.”

Vervecken has not given up hope that Van Aert will play together with Van der Poel this week.