Van Aert second in tough CX World Cup Gavere
After a spectacular race, Wout van Aert has finished second in the CX World Cup cross in Gavere, a classic on the cyclocross calendar. At times, the Belgian champion struggled on the challenging mud course, and despite a fierce pursuit, he was forced to concede defeat to Mathieu van der Poel. It was Van Aert’s fourth podium finish of the cyclocross season.
After the race began, Van Aert swiftly moved into third place and made an effort to catch Van der Poel and the world champion Thomas Pidcock. That appeared to work halfway through the race, but the 28-year-old Team Jumbo-Visma rider was forced to release when Van der Poel accelerated once again. On the penultimate lap, Van Aert overtook Pidcock. After Friday's victory in Mol, though, another victory was no longer feasible.
"Second place was the best I could do today."
"I didn't feel like I was competing for the win”, Van Aert said. "I was always just chasing and never found a solid rhythm. I continued making mistakes. I kept a reasonable speed overall, but I lacked the required acceleration. Second place was the best I could do today. There was a huge crowd, so I had a great time, despite my poor legs. It reminded me of the old days. I knew it would be one of those days when I arrived four hours before the start and nearly couldn't get out of the car due to the crowds. We missed that the last few years with corona."
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