Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) got here out on high in a battle of the ‘massive three’ on the UCI World Cup in Gavere to take his third win of the season.
The Dutchman beat out long-time rival Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) in a back-and-forth race, with the Belgian taking second at 27 seconds. World champion Tom Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers) rounded out the rostrum at 54 seconds.
“I simply actually needed to win. Like I mentioned in Mol [second place – Ed.] I wasn’t actually glad. I used to be decided to do a superb consequence at present,” Van der Poel mentioned after his win.
“I feel lots of components. I feel this course is admittedly exhausting and likewise technical. I feel for me a minimum of it was a reasonably good race. I loved it, a lot of folks, and I am pleased with my victory.”
Van der Poel had hit the entrance of the race together with Pidcock inside the primary two minutes of the race, although it would not be a simple win for the Dutchman, even when Van Aert was caught additional again after the beginning.
“Truly, for me, I by no means felt like being within the combine for victory at present,” Van Aert mentioned. “From the beginning, I used to be chasing. I used to be by no means within the rhythm I needed to have. I have to be blissful at present with second place. It was the best attainable for me.
“It was nonetheless a very nice day trip. There have been so many crowds, and it was like a World Championships ambiance. Though the legs weren’t actually responding from the start, I nonetheless fought due to the followers and yeah, it was a very nice ’cross race.”
He and Pidcock made their approach into the lead two spots via the opening lap, whereas Van Aert ultimately battled his approach via the pack into third place. However early on lap two, it was Pidcock solo within the lead after Van der Poel suffered a puncture.
The Briton loved a 10-second lead heading into lap three as Van der Poel and Van Aert co-operated within the chase. He would not be racing off into the gap, although, as his determination to trip up the mid-lap hill whereas his rivals ran noticed him shed time and – on the third lap – lose his lead as the 2 chasers caught again up.
“I am perhaps somewhat bit disillusioned,” Pidcock mentioned after the race. “It was a really heavy race. The previous couple of laps I actually felt it, particularly through the working sections. I used to be struggling to clip again in afterwards. Simply not robust sufficient, actually.
When requested if he thought he might win, Pidcock mentioned the thought crossed his thoughts when he caught Van der Poel.
“However then, like I mentioned, on the working sections, my bike was getting heavier and heavier each lap. It felt like I used to be carrying a automobile on my shoulder. I want my bike had an engine, like a automobile. In the previous few laps, my legs fell off a bit.”
It wasn’t lengthy earlier than Van der Poel was out in entrance on his personal once more, the previous four-time world champion edging away from Van Aert and Pidcock to go solo.
At the beginning of lap 4 of six, Van der Poel was 15 seconds up the highway, although the chasing pair had been capable of near inside a handful of seconds as they seemed to arrange a giant, late battle for the win.
Pidcock did handle to make it throughout briefly, although Van der Poel found a second wind late on to distance each him and Van Aert for good. Pidcock light late to cede second place to Van Aert, whereas outdoors the ‘massive three’ battle it was Michael Vanthourenhout (Pawels Sauzen-Bingoal) who was better of the remainder, albeit nearly two minutes down.
| Place | Title (Nation) Workforce | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mathieu van der Poel (Ned) Alpecin-Deceuninck | 0:57:14 |
| 2 | Wout van Aert (Bel) Jumbo-Visma | 0:00:27 |
| 3 | Tom Pidcock (GBr) Ineos Grenadiers | 0:00:54 |
| 4 | Michael Vanthourenhout (Bel) Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal | 0:01:53 |
| 5 | Lars van der Haar (Ned) Baloise Trek Lions | 0:02:20 |
| 6 | Laurens Sweeck (Bel) Crelan-Fristads | 0:02:55 |
| 7 | Thibau Nys (Bel) Baloise Trek Lions | 0:03:50 |
| 8 | Toon Vandebosch (Bel) Alpecin-Deceuninck | 0:03:57 |
| 9 | Cameron Mason (GBr) Trinity Racing | 0:04:02 |
| 10 | Gerben Kuypers (Bel) Proximus-Doltcini | 0:04:10 |
