Wout Van Aert triumphant in his first ‘cross race of the season

He’s back. In his first ‘cross race of the season, Wout Van Aert claimed the second round of the Exact Cross series in Essen, Belgium, in front of a wet but excited crowd. The Belgian is the first of the Big Three–Van Aert, world champion Mathieu van der Poel and Tom Pidcock–to race cross this season. Van Aert’s last race was the UCI Gravel Worlds on October 8.

There had been only one round of the Exact Cross series, two months ago, with Thibau Nys taking the flowers. Nys wasn’t in Essen, nor were any of the winners of this season’s World Cup, Superprestige and X2O Badkamers Trofee series.

Van Aert started the Robotland Cyclocross on the first row, left side and was fourth soon after the gun on Lap 1. Van Aert immediately grabbed a bike. Zdenek Stybar, retired from the road, took the lead in the heavy mud. Lander Loockx took over, with Van Aert keeping an eye on everyone as the string stayed long. Stybar sifted down the pack. Loockx led Van Aert, Jens Adams, Yorben Lauryssen and Tom Meeusen over the line in 8:42.

Van Aert went to the front at the start of Lap 2, trotting through the muck with Loockx on his six. Loockx, Van Aert, Adams and Thijs Aerts distanced the others.

The front group all grabbed fresh machines at the beginning of Lap 3 of 7. By staying on the bike, the Jumbo-Visma man took a gap, but the others came back to him. Loockx began to lag.

Van Aert surged away from his companions at the start of Lap 4. He was 33 seconds clear by the line.

Aerts started to lose Adams’ wheel on Lap 5, but the latter was 55 seconds in arrears of the leader going into the penultimate lap.

The bell lap was a victory lap, as Van Aert powered his Cervelo 1:21 ahead of Adams.

Van Aert’s next ‘cross race is December 22 at Exact Cross Mol.

2023-2024 Exact Cross, Round 2, Essen
1) Wout Van Aert (Belgium/Jumbo-Visma) 1:01:53
2) Jens Adams (Belgium/Lotto-X-Oats) +1:35
3) Thijs Aerts (Belgium/Circus-Re Uz-Technord) +2:50