Van Aert started the race from the second row and immediately caught up to the lead. However, the Belgian was thrown back twice due to a steering error and a cleaning cloth in his rear derailleur. Van Aert reclaimed the lead after closing a 20-second margin. A lap later, the Belgian cyclocross champion picked up speed and pulled away from the other six leaders. In his second cyclocross race of the year, Van Aert quickly increased the gap and finished with a fourteen-second advantage over Laurens Sweeck.

“It was simply horrible bad luck”, Van Aert described the cleaning cloth in his derailleur. "Fortunately, I quickly felt something was blocking at the back, and I got the right to turn around. That’s how I stayed in the race. That was just when I started to feel a bit better. It was challenging at first, and I thought my riding technique was lacking. I had to get used to the changed circumstances. After the bike change, I was shaken up. It was a tough race. In the end, the course proved tough enough to make a difference. Besides, it was nice to meet the Irish fans. I enjoyed it."