Van Aert took plenty of positives from his return to the mud. “The first one is out of the way. Above all, I’m tired afterwards, because it remains a very demanding discipline. It looked like I had a chance at the podium, but unfortunately the puncture set me back. My legs are at a good level. Beforehand, I hoped I would come away from this race with the feeling I have now. There’s still work to do on the technical side, and I hope to improve that in the coming weeks. This was a nice cross to start with. Today’s efforts will help me reach a higher level again. It was great to be back,” the Belgian concluded.

Van Aert began his cyclocross campaign in Antwerp with fresh motivation. Starting from the third row, the Belgian quickly worked his way forward thanks in part to a strong start, soon finding himself battling for the front positions.

He clearly enjoyed the huge crowd that had turned out in force. Halfway through the race, however, the home rider’s comeback was struck by bad luck. Van Aert punctured and had to ride some distance on a flat tyre before he could change bikes in the pit area. As a result, the fight for second place slipped away, and the 31-year-old eventually had to settle for seventh.