Under snowy conditions, Van Aert immediately positioned himself at the front of the field. The Belgian took the lead in the first lap and quickly set a high pace, creating an early selection. In the third lap, Van Aert broke away together with Van der Poel, but a tricky sand section forced the 31-year-old to let his rival go.

In the following laps, Van Aert fought back through heavy snowfall to catch up with Van der Poel. A duel ensued, showcasing the Belgian’s strengths once again. However, on the slippery course, Van Aert crashed and, unfortunately, had to abandon the race.

“Wout is experiencing pain in his ankle,” sports director Jan Boven said after the race. “We will conduct further examinations before drawing any conclusions. It’s a shame the race had to end this way, because Wout was very strong, and it was a great duel.”