Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike) strong-armed the mud and the sector to win the Cyclocross World Cup in Dendermonde with a solo effort on Sunday.
Van Aert, who now has a trio of wins in Dendermonde, minced his method by way of heavy mud and a gradual begin within the opening two laps to experience away for the second victory of his abbreviated ‘cross season.
Emile Verstrynge (Crelan-Corendon) held on for second place, 1:10 again, together with his teammate Joran Wyseure in third.
A seismic battle for World Cup factors ensued effectively behind Van Aert between sequence chief Michael Vanthourenhout (Pauwels Sauzen-Cibel Clementines) and second-placed Toon Aerts (Deschacht-Hens-FSP), separated by 25 factors. Aerts was in a position to distance the sequence chief late within the race and completed fourth total, whereas Vanthourenhout rode throughout the road in solo fifth place.
Van Aert went straight to the printed space for a post-race interview, not stopping to wipe the mud from his face. Did he have enjoyable on the course right this moment? He merely answered, “Quite a bit”.
“Cyclocross races, whereas doing it generally you query why. It is so troublesome to pay attention, to tug it off, so nice enjoyable,” stated Van Aert, having gone back-to-back with victories on the weekend and saying he was blissful to not have any accidents throughout the Superprestige Gullegem after which Dendermonde.
“It means lots to me, that is for certain. To be trustworthy, I am forward of the schedule I had in my thoughts, so it is a confidence enhance to maintain working to the highway season.”
Aerts led from the beginning of the eight-lap contest, dismounting to run on the sequence of rollers caked with heavy mud, whereas Ryan Kamp (Fenix) was one of many few riders in a position to stay seated, his pedal strokes placing him in second place.
On the primary alternative for contemporary bikes, Ronhaar led all riders into the pits, with Kamp shedding treasured spots when he fell amid the chaos. In the meantime, Van Aert moved to ninth place as soon as again on the course.
Pim Ronhaar (Baloise Glowi Lions), final 12 months’s winner, set the tempo to start out the second lap, in a entrance pack with Aerts and Verstrynge. Van Aert picked his method from sixth to second place on the muddy monitor with swimming pools of standing water because the riders took contemporary bikes on the pits earlier than the flyover, Verstrynge taking on the lead.
On the third lap, Van Aert assumed the lead place with Verstrynge tagging alongside, and the duo started to create gaps behind, Ronhaar and Aerts using 5 seconds behind, and one other 20 seconds to a gaggle with Mees Hendrikx, Corné Van Kessel, Wyseure and Kevin Kuhn. Kamp had dropped to ninth and Eli Iserbyt eleventh.
Unleashing highly effective strikes by way of the slippery sludge, Van Aert moved away from Verstrynge on lap 4, the hole opening to 14 seconds. Kuhn, in the meantime, moved into fifth place however was nonetheless effectively again of the Ronhaar and Aerts duo chasing a podium spot.
To start the sixth lap, Van Aert prolonged his lead over Verstrynge to 48 seconds, Aerts now 1:16 again in solo third. Wyseure, Kuhn, Vanthourenhout and Nys started one other cross of the circuit one other 20-30 seconds again, the battle with the heavy mud carrying down their skills to make any important strikes.
On the penultimate lap, Nys stumbled into the mud and was gradual to remount his bike after a testing day. He was quickly engaged with Ronhaar and Kuhn, however greater than two minutes off the lead. Forward, the highest 5 had been sealed by the vicious tempo set by Van Aert and the viscous situation of the course.
“It is a arduous race and I knew I needed to discover a good tempo. It was sufficient to complete second right this moment,” the 22-year-old Verstrynge stated. “It is good to complete on the rostrum only one week earlier than [Belgian Nationals]. Subsequent week is a very totally different race, so we’ll see.”
Verstrynge improved one spot from his third place at World Cup Namur in mid-December. His Crelan-Corendon teammate Wyseure, 23 years previous, earned his seventh prime 10 in eight World Cup begins, and his second time on the rostrum as effectively.
Outcomes
Outcomes powered by FirstCycling