READ ALSO. Gianni Vermeersch is the new Belgian clay champion, Toon Aerts just misses the podium
“It was a really tough race today,” the 29-year-old rider from Deschacht-Hens-Maes said on the podium before the ceremony. “It was very hectic for the first hundred kilometers, with a large peloton still together. At that time it was mainly important to save your material and not to drive into holes or on stones. I have tried to be very attentive, but over time it is very mentally tiring. Going into the last lap we were able to pull away with a nice group.”
Gianni Vermeersch triumphs for Daan Soete. — © mpics
“I expected us to turn a little better, but Vermeersch was a bit of the limiting factor here”
Daan Sweet
Rider Deschacht-Hens-Maes
“I expected us to turn a little better, but Vermeersch was a bit of the limiting factor here. Then you have to watch your step a bit. Someone like him, who showed up so strongly in the spring, such as in Paris-Roubaix, still has something to spare in a 150 kilometer race in this company. I once tried to pull away with an attack 25 kilometers from the end, but he caught up again fairly easily. From then on I knew that it was mainly going to be watching him.”
lots of atmosphere on BK gravel — © RTV
“Second was the highest possible”
“I accelerated a little too far when we entered the final straight line, and then I realized that finishing second was the maximum possible,” says Daan Soete. “A bit of a shame, because I had been working towards this. I had a great internship with the team, although unfortunately I fell slightly ill last week ahead of Valkenburg. As a result, I didn’t start today with too much confidence, but sometimes it’s not a bad thing to race a bit cautiously at the beginning. By the way, I made it through the last 50 kilometers.”
Toon Aerts ends up in fourth place. — © mpics
“I accelerated a little too far when we entered the final straight, and then I realized that finishing second was the maximum possible”
Daan Sweet
Rider Deschacht-Hens-Maes
“I will now take a week of rest and then I will also ride the Antwerp Port Epic. Then there are some road races in connection with the Belgian Mountain Bike Championships. Later this season I will also prepare very well for the Clay World Cup that will take place in Leuven,” said the Grobbendonian.
“Difficult towards the end”
Toon Aerts denied being disappointed with his fourth place. “I’ve already had a good week with that victory in Valkenburg. Today I was able to participate in the race and when it comes to a sprint, anything can happen. It just wasn’t. I no longer had the ability to attack in the final. Maybe I had wasted too much strength in the first two laps by always being at the front and taking the initiative. Towards the end it was really difficult. The pace was also very high today. Very different from Valkenburg last weekend, for example. There the strongest riders could ride away on that much more difficult course. Here you got more of the feeling of a fairground race on a super-fast circuit. Anyway, there are a lot of matches coming up now and with this condition I am ready to play my role in them.”
“Today I was able to participate in the race and when it comes to a sprint, anything can happen. It just wasn’t”
Toon Aerts
Rider Deschacht-Hens-Maes
#Daan #Soete #strong #Gianni #Vermeersch #chances #Cycling
– 2024-05-02 14:00:36
