Famous for its circuit along the Zilvermeer and its sandy sections, the Cross shortly seemed to add a new chapter to the long list of thrilling duels between Van Aert and Van der Poel. To win in Mol, the world champion accelerated and gradually pulled away from the Belgian of Team Jumbo-Visma, second by second.

"Nevertheless, I'm not unhappy with today”, Van Aert said. "Mathieu immediately put me under pressure. As a result, I made a few mistakes in the sand. The differences appeared quickly; the sand sections were tricky. I soon felt that I was falling behind today.”

Van Aert continued: "I didn't feel completely comfortable. Yesterday was a tiring day with the team presentation. Besides, we have made clear decisions this year, and the cyclo-cross season is secondary to my classic spring on the road. Especially on a course like Mol, you need something extra to cope with the sandy sections. When you are under pressure, each line becomes more and more difficult.”

"Fortunately, I found my rhythm in the second part of the race, and things went much better, especially technically. It wasn't perfect, but I'm happy with the last part. I expect that from now on, every cross will go a bit better”, Van Aert concluded. The Belgian rider has a double programme this weekend, racing the World Cup race in Antwerp tomorrow.