Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin – Deceuninck) confirmed his rustiness on the cyclocross bike as he made a “steering error” and crashed earlier than regaining momentum to take his first cyclocross win of the season.
The seven-time cyclocross world champion attacked on the final lap to take victory following an eventful cyclocross World Cup spherical in Namur.
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“Only a small steering error,” mentioned Van der Poel when questioned afterwards. “I simply could not right it anymore. I made just a little too many errors within the wheels. Generally it is just a little simpler to experience within the lead.”
“In the long run, after I went to the entrance on the final half-a-lap it was my greatest technical a part of the race.”
The multi-discipline rider has entered the ‘cross calendar every week sooner than final 12 months as he additionally prepares for the Spring Classics.
Van der Poel felt he had extra to enhance on technically following his maiden outing. He added: “Final 12 months, I feel I used to be just a bit additional [in his preparations]. I had simply executed just a little extra particular [cyclocross] coaching. This 12 months we deliberate that just a little later.”
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Nonetheless, this season Nys has stepped up a degree and was the one rider in a position to match Van der Poel’s penultimate-lap check.
He mentioned: “With Mathieu coming again, you possibly can’t predict how he’s going to assault and explode. We changed into the final lap, I had the sensation that I had a giant explosion within the legs and I simply took the entrance to be in good place.”
“I made an excellent small, silly mistake that value me a variety of seconds and dropped me again to fourth place. I nonetheless had the sensation that I had the ability in me, however Mathieu was gone.”
“It’s at such a second that you must seize the alternatives on such a course,” he added.
“I feel there are a variety of crosses developing the place I will not get an opportunity to try this with the identical degree. Just because it is a course on which I could make a distinction with my weight. In Koksijde or Hofstade, for instance, will probably be much more tough for me.”
Van Aert will be a part of the ‘cross motion subsequent weekend and a big battle between final season’s world championship medallists is predicted to happen at Antwerp on Saturday.
