Puncture hinders race Van Aert in hometown Herentals
In his hometown of Herentals, Wout van Aert came up short due to a flat rear tire. As a result, the Belgian champion of Team Jumbo-Visma had to settle for second place.
Van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel soon clashed at the front of the field. They occasionally exchanged pinpricks but couldn't get rid of one another. Everyone was getting ready for a sprint-a-deux when bad luck befell the local favorite.
"I felt like someone was pulling on my saddle when Mathieu passed me."
"I started to slide a bit just before the material post", Van Aert said. "I hesitated briefly before entering the post, but had I done so, I would not have been able to win the race either. I kept trying, but I felt like someone was pulling on my saddle when Mathieu passed me."
In front of his own crowd, Van Aert eventually engaged in yet another duel with Van der Poel. "We virtually rode the entire cross together; we are each other's equals. I made an effort to apply a little more pressure to Mathieu today. The first part of the cross went better, but I couldn't get rid of him towards the end."
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