Belgian Wout Van Aert easily won the cyclo-cross World Cup round in Dendermonde (central Belgium) on Sunday in the absence of his great Dutch rival Mathieu van der Poel, who forfeited.
On the muddyest course of the season – after the first of the eight laps of the circuit, it was already impossible to distinguish the color of the riders’ jerseys – Van Aert won ahead of his compatriots Emiel Verstryge and Joran Wyseure.
“Power” after “explosivity”
Another Belgian, Michael Vanthourenhout, upset by mechanical problems, took 5e place to maintain the lead in the World Cup at the end of this eighth of eleven rounds of the event.
Beaten by Van der Poel for his comeback ten days ago in Loenhout, Van Aert signed his second success in a row after his victory on Saturday during the Superprestige round in Gullegem.
The leader of the Visma-Lease a Bike team, who started on the fourth row (the starting order is set according to the world ranking of the riders), took only two laps to overtake his competitors and take the lead in the race. .
He won with one minute and twenty seconds on Verstrynge. A chasm.
“Yesterday (Saturday) in Gullegem, we needed explosiveness. Here, it was more power, we needed a big engine,” declared the Belgian, his face completely blackened by the mud.
Heading for Spain and the road season
“It was difficult. Perhaps I would have preferred to be injured in the ribs,” quipped Van Aert in reference to the injury to Mathieu van der Poel which led to his withdrawal.
“I will now take a day off before heading to Spain, Mallorca, for the team training camp and continuing my preparation for the road season,” he continued.
This season, the one who is one of the most versatile riders in the peloton has reduced his appearances in the plowed races to five crosses to focus on his preparation for the spring classics. Conversely, “MVDP” has made cyclo-cross a priority with the objective of equaling, at the beginning of February in Liévin in France, the record of seven world titles held by Belgian Eric De Vlaeminck.
