Having finally resolved his knee issues, Wout Van Aert returned to action this weekend, and with great success. After an exciting battle with a very strong Eli Iserbyt, the handsome rider from Visma-Lease a Bike had already won the Superprestige race in Gullegem on Saturday, before claiming victory once again in Termonde, in the 9th round of the Elite World Cup.
In Termonde, his late start to the season saw the three-time world champion placed on the 4th row of the starting grid. Calm but already incredibly efficient, Van Aert began to work his way through a peloton initially stretched out by Toon Aerts, Pim Ronhaar, and the young Emiel Verstrynge, already sitting in 4th place at the first lap, before catching up with the leading trio and taking charge. Only the surprising Verstrynge managed to stick with his wheel, before eventually losing ground. Before the halfway point, “WVA” was alone in the lead. The rest of the race was a clear display of domination. On the almost flat but very muddy course in Termonde, the Belgian showcased his perfect technique (making only a slight mistake in the final lap) and his sheer physical power – the very strength that allowed him to ride through sections where all his competitors had to dismount.
At the finish line, having dazzled the race with all his class, the muddy Sovereign crossed the line with a 1’20” lead over Verstrynge, while Wyseure took third place. Of course, cyclo-cross fans are always thrilled to admire the champions. In Termonde, the only thing missing was Mathieu Van der Poel to make the celebration complete. With less than three weeks to go until the World Championships in Liévin, only a showdown between the two giants – or their simultaneous absence – seems capable of adding any suspense to the race for the title.
When only one of the two lines up at the start, the glorious uncertainty of the sport fades. With Van der Poel having confirmed his presence in Liévin, let’s hope Van Aert does the same !
On the French side, Joshua Dubau took a solid 14th place, while Clément Venturini had to settle for 27th. As for the overall World Cup standings, it’s still the Belgian Michael Vanthourehout, who finished 5th in Termonde after a poor start, leading the rankings.
In the women’s race, it was Lucinda Brand who won again – like Van Aert in the men’s race, she also claimed victory the day before in Gullegem, ahead of Puck Pieterse and Fem van Empel. A Dutch trio on the podium is a classic in women’s cyclo-cross.
Brand took control of the race from the first lap, accompanied only by Pieterse, who would soon drop back. Brand kept her focus and maintained the pace, briefly joined by Backstedt, until she caught up with her compatriot in the third lap. The two women worked together, holding off a duo of Backstedt, Bakker, and Van Empel, who had recovered after a tough start.
Then, the elder of the two champions broke away from her younger rival, extending her lead to about 15 seconds. Lucinda Brand claimed victory after six laps. Pieterse finished second, while Van Empel took third.
Next weekend, the national championships will dominate the attention of cyclo-cross fans. The World Cup will return on January 19th in Benidorm, Spain, followed by the last two rounds on January 25th and 26th in Maasmechelen and Hoogerheide, Netherlands.
Termonde was not part of the Junior and U23 World Cup program.
After the national championships next weekend, the next stop will be Benidorm, where Van Aert, still in preparation, will once again race without Van Der Poel’s presence.
For the women, Lucinda Brand strengthened her lead by winning ahead of Fem van Empel.
