Van der Poel wins at the Exact Cross in Loenhout with another amazing performance

Van der Poel takes the victory in the muddy Exact Cross of Loenhout after another solo adventure that he resolved with ease. Felipe Orts completed a wonderful race for him from the start and that demanded everything from him when he lost the podium when it seemed he was already tasting it, but he was able to recover it at the last moment. Vermeersch was second and signed the Alpecin double.

Van der Poel wins the Exact Cross of Loenhout with another display of superiority

The Loenhout race started with a troubled start: Mason initiated the butterfly effect that caused some falls and the bottleneck of a good part of the hundred riders that were in the Flemish town. The incident occurred in the first pedals and left Florian Vermeersch as one of the worst off.

Mason, who had a good opportunity today, also frustrated his own start of the race with the loss of several positions; the bad start of the British benefited a Felipe Orts who from the beginning was very aware of his podium options.

The first rows pedaled without incidents and Van der Poel took the lead when less than three minutes of the race had passed. Despite this flirtation with the government of the test, Felipe Orts assumed the mud throne after overtaking the Dutchman in one of the many muddy areas.

Felipe Orts played a leading role from the beginning. The Alicante native demonstrated his skill on the mud when the rain began to fall more intensely. Khun and Vermeersch also positioned themselves in the noble positions of the table and replaced the Spaniard in the hard task of opening the track.

Meanwhile, Van der Poel was lurking around the lead with a cautious drive and, while he was waiting for the moment to press, he limited himself to sheltering his handlebar behind the wheels of his predecessors.

The laps followed each other between small scares due to the lack of grip and an intermittent rain that at times pressed hard. Felipe Orts continued to dance on the mud with elegance and kept his podium options open.

And then the card that everyone was waiting for was revealed: Van der Poel understood that the moment had come and raised the bet with a change of pace with which he intended to stay alone. Felipe Orts was well placed, although the effort to keep the wake was insufficient and the rainbow soon got lost on the horizon.

The race broke from then on. Van der Poel began a fight with himself with the aim of opening a gap; Orts, Kamp and Vermeersch became pursuers and the riders who were going to fight the battle for the podium.

Van der Poel pedaled with ease and resolving the few incidents that the muddy circuit of Loenhout had in store for him. The Orange Beast rode without looking back and with the eagerness to increase the rent. 

Felipe Orts launched an attack that left Kamp and Vermeersch behind. The move had paid off, but the Spaniard armed himself with courage and squeezed his quadriceps on the asphalt of the finish line to materialize the hole.

Ahead, Van der Poel drove without incidents and without threats in the rearview mirror.

The second position was turning red until Kamp and Vermeersch caught Orts. The game started again and the cards had to be played again. Kamp lost steam as the race entered the final phase and left the fight for the second step of the podium to the two of them.

Orts tried it and put some distance; Vermeersch replied shortly after and caught the Spaniard. Kamp arrived when no one expected him and the trio met again to solve the equation in the final stretch of the race.

The last lap hardened the fight as they approached the finish line. Vermeersch, Orts and Kamp moved the cranks without changing positions. Orts lost steam, Kamp moved ahead and Vermeersch was clearly highlighted to occupy the second place.

Ahead, Van der Poel rode calmly in a last lap in which he allowed himself the luxury of slowing down. The Dutchman reached the finish line and achieved victory in the Exact Cross of Loenhout. Sixth victory in six races this season. Waiting for what he can do tomorrow in the CX World Cup of Hulst.

Vermeersch was able to cross with some margin to be second. But the surprise jumped from behind when Felipe Orts gave it his all when stepping on the asphalt and in a tremendous burst reduced the difference with Kamp, who also hammered the pedals until he ran out of strength and gave the honor of the podium to the Spaniard. A happy ending for Felipe Orts, who marks with a gold seal a race to remember.

Men's Elite Results - Loenhout Exact Cross

1. Mathieu Van der Poel 56'48"
2. Gianni Vermeersch +39"
3. Felipe Orts +39"
4. Ryan Kamp +41"
5. Timon Ruegg +1'02"
6. Lander Loockx +1'20"
7. Niels Vandeputte +1'39"
8. Thijs Aerts +1'50"
9. Toon Vandebosch +1'56"
10. Jente Michels +2'07"