Wout van Aert: Expecting to be in second position, I forgot to ride my own sprint

HOOGERHEIDE NETHERLANDS FEBRUARY 05 Wout Van Aert of Belgium competes during the 74th World Championships CycloCross 2023 Mens Elite CXWorldCup Hoogerheide2023 on February 05 2023 in Hoogerheide Netherlands Photo by David StockmanGetty Images
Wout van Aert (Belgium) rode in front of Mathieu van der Poel (Netherlands) after the final pass of the barriers (Image credit: David Stockman/Getty Images)

Belgian champion Wout van Aert admitted that he was left confused by the tactics of rival Mathieu van der Poel which led to the Dutchman's victory in the elite men’s UCI Cyclocross World Championships on Sunday at Hoogerheide. 

Van Aert had predicted that his Dutch nemesis might use his bunny hopping ability to force a vital gap in the final section of the barriers before an uphill road sprint finish. However, when the moment came, Van der Poel instead stayed in second place and surprised Van Aert with a late charge to the line, leaving the Belgian no time to muster a response.