Two days after his first cyclocross race in Antwerp, Van Aert lined up at the start in Hofstade, where he was aiming for nothing less than a podium spot. After a strong start, the Belgian entered the field in fifth place, but a slip in the second lap cost him a few places. Van Aert showed resilience and, thanks to a strong effort, moved up to second place in the race.

Van der Poel had already flown away by that point, but in the battle for second place, Van Aert continued to pull away from his competitors. After just under an hour, the Team Visma | Lease a Bike rider crossed the finish line in second place. "I can be satisfied with my performance. Technically, I rode much better than in Antwerp", said Van Aert.

"I didn't hit the wall quite as hard, but that's also because I didn't have to go all out in the last three laps. That was what I was hoping for." Van Aert looks back on his race with a good feeling. "I had a good start. I chose the right side of the field and immediately managed to overtake several people. In the first lap, I had to get into the rhythm. Halfway through, I found the legs that allowed me to put in a considerable effort."

Van Aert says he enjoyed the atmosphere in Hofstade. "With three laps to go, I knew I wasn't going to catch Mathieu. In some places, I was able to really enjoy the encouragement. I'm 31, but it's still amazing to experience this." Tomorrow, Van Aert will be at the start of the Superprestige in Heusden-Zolder. "I have fond memories of this cross. I'm really looking forward to riding there."