Van der Poel leans into patience in Koksijde: 'It doesn’t have to be full gas every time'

The opening laps were controlled rather than explosive in Koksijde. Tibor Del Grosso set the early tempo at the front, with Laurens Sweeck also prominent as the race began to take shape. Van der Poel looked comfortable, staying calm and measuring his effort while the group traded positions through the sand.

“I really enjoyed it today,” Van der Poel said afterwards. “It’s one of my favourite races, and with the changes they made to the course, I like it even more. These are the days I really cherish.”

Van der Poel’s decisive move came in the fourth lap after he had spent time watching how the race unfolded. “I was looking a bit at what the others were doing,” he explained. “Then I went to the front, and it’s always easier when you can ride your own lines. If there are mistakes behind, a gap comes, and then I decided to go for it.”

Unlike the race yesterday in Antwerp, Van der Poel did not feel the need to go full gas from the start, mindful of the heavy block of racing still to come. “It doesn’t have to be from start to finish every time,” he said. “With the races coming quickly one after another, it’s important not to give everything from the first minute until the last.”

He also pointed out that the sand in Koksijde felt very different to the day before in Antwerp, and that his technique was where he wanted it to be. “It’s other sand, other sections,” Van der Poel said. “Today I was happy with the technique, and tomorrow it will be different again.”

By “tomorrow”, Van der Poel was referring to the X2O Trofee in Hofstade, where he will line up once again, with Wout van Aert also on the start list.