'I know what I'm doing' - Wout van Aert accepts cyclocross defeat with Classics in mind

Wout van Aert
Wout van Aert took second behind Mathieu van der Poel in Baal. (Image credit: Getty Images)

Wout van Aert saw little reason to sugarcoat his second-place finish at the X2O Trofee Baal on New Year’s Day. Mathieu van der Poel has been unbeatable on the cyclocross circuit this winter and the world champion duly continued his winning streak on Monday, but Van Aert confessed to surprise at a margin of victory just shy of two minutes.

“I was shocked by that, to be honest. Mathieu was super strong,” Van Aert said afterwards, according to Het Laatste Nieuws

Barry Ryan
Head of Features

Barry Ryan is Head of Features at Cyclingnews. He has covered professional cycling since 2010, reporting from the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and events from Argentina to Japan. His writing has appeared in The Independent, Procycling and Cycling Plus. He is the author of The Ascent: Sean Kelly, Stephen Roche and the Rise of Irish Cycling’s Golden Generation, published by Gill Books.