Four weeks after his triumph in Paris-Roubaix, Van Aert made an appearance in the Netherlands’ biggest gravel race. The Belgian headed to the south of Limburg without any specific expectations, keen mainly to enjoy himself. As the race progressed, Van Aert realised his legs were in good shape. With sixty kilometres to go, he was part of a select leading group.

On one of the trickier gravel sections, Van Aert saw his chance to accelerate. The multiple cyclo-cross world champion immediately opened up a significant gap and saw his lead grow steadily. After a 22-kilometre solo ride, Van Aert was able to make the victory gesture. "It was a really tough race, but at the same time I enjoyed it", the winner said afterwards.

"My main goal today was to stay out of trouble. I tried to stay near the front the whole time to avoid risks as much as possible. When there were eventually six of us left, it became a lot easier, because we no longer had to fight for our positions. I felt I still had something left in the tank and tried to accelerate on one of the tougher sections. That was a good moment", said Van Aert.

According to the Belgian, the gravel race has left him wanting more. "It was fun racing here. It’s a completely different kind of race to what I’m used to. It’s great to be able to compete in such a fair race and put my off-road skills to good use. I’ll definitely be taking part more often."