In Koksijde, Mathieu van der Poel got off to a quick start, forcing Van Aert to rely on pursuing and fighting to take the other podium spots. The difference was made on the sand and mud tracks. The Belgian picked up the pace in the closing laps and finished third behind Pim Ronhaar.

"I deliberately didn't try to follow Mathieu. At the start, I shot out of my click pedal, so I had to sprint hard to get into the peloton", Van Aert said. "That was a prelude to a blistering pace from him. I mainly tried to ride at my own pace. I've had better legs this season. It was nice to ride these races. Every time, I enjoyed the large crowds."

Van Aert is now concentrating on the team's training camp in Spain before concluding his cross season with the World Cup race in Benidorm. "Until I started my cross programme, I did the basics with little intensity. I have been doing that intensity in the races lately, so now it is time to go back to the basics. We will only go back to intensity training just before the spring classics. It is a different approach from previous seasons, but I am confident. My main goals are for the spring classics."