Van der Poel shrugged off Baal crash - 'A bit off the line and then I was on the ground'

“A bit off the line and I could not get back into it, and then I was on the ground,” Van der Poel said when asked about the crash, a mistake that stood out in an otherwise controlled ride.

The second unusual moment came when Verstrynge managed to return to the front after Van der Poel’s first acceleration had opened a gap. Van der Poel was quick to credit the Belgian, who is also his teammate on the road. “Strong. I think he had a really good day. He stayed with it for a long time after that, so yes, it was impressive.”

With the two riding together for a spell, Van der Poel was asked whether there was any talk between them in the lead group. He said there was little need. “No, not much was said, but I do not think that is necessary. I did the Tour with Emiel, so I know him reasonably well. He is a nice guy with a lot of talent, and that showed today.”

Van der Poel also sounded pleased with the way the course evolved, especially after a run of faster races earlier in the winter. “Yeah, it was really nice. Finally a bit muddy conditions. Until now we had only very fast races with some nice weather and luckily today we had a little bit of rain. So the course was changing quite a bit. But I enjoyed it. It was slippery and technical and it is a venue I really like to race, and also today I enjoyed myself.”

With the Exact Cross Mol already coming up tomorrow, he downplayed the impact of the cold and suggested he often feels better with each outing. “I actually felt quite good. I expected it to feel colder, but it was not too bad. These days I am normally a little better in the second cross than the first, maybe that is age, so hopefully that is the case again tomorrow.”

Wout van Aert will also be on the start line in Mol tomorrow, alongside Van der Poel. Want to know how to watch? Check it out here.