Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) needed to accept a distant second place behind Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) on the Zonhoven World Cup on Sunday afternoon, and the Dutchman admitted afterwards that he had been hindered by his lingering again harm throughout the occasion.
Van der Poel missed nearly the whole lot of final 12 months’s cyclocross season with a again harm and the issue resurfaced on the X2O Trofee in Koksijde in midweek, the place he additionally positioned second behind Van Aert.
On the sand of Zonhoven on Sunday, Van der Poel was capable of keep in touch with Van Aert via the early exchanges earlier than his second crash of the afternoon allowed the Belgian to open a decisive hole on lap three.
Van der Poel was in damage-limitation mode from there on, holding off Laurens Sweeck (Crelans-Fristads) to position second, 1:23 behind Van Aert.
“Not good,” was Van der Poel’s succinct evaluation in his post-race flash interview. “It’s not going how I prefer it. My again is hurting once more and it’s a bit irritating.”
Van der Poel prompt that the ache from his again had performed an element in his crash on the sand, whereas it additionally positioned a restrict on his means to match Van Aert’s tempo.
“The one factor I’m interested by is my again that’s hurting, and it’s important to be 100% targeted on the course, and I’m simply not capable of,” Van der Poel stated. “I can perhaps trip half a lap on the tempo that I need, however then I’ve to carry again due to the ache, it’s tremendous irritating.”
Van der Poel will journey to Spain on Monday for a coaching camp on the highway along with his Alpecin-Deceuninck squad, along with his subsequent appointment on the cyclocross circuit coming on the World Cup in Benidorm on January 22. He’s additionally anticipated to race the next weekend in both Hamme or Besançon forward of the anticipated duel with Van Aert on the World Championships in Hoogerheide on February 5.
“Wout van Aert is after all additionally very robust, you can’t detract from that. However after all, I’ve to have the ability to compete longer,” Van der Poel advised Sporza.
“Tomorrow I am leaving for a coaching camp in Spain, and perhaps that is simply the correct time to select myself up and work on my again. The general public was a assist right here in Zonhoven, nevertheless it’s not enjoyable to race ‘cross in the mean time.”
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