Thibau Nys (Baloise Verzekeringen-Het Poetsbureau Lions) was left frustrated with himself after sitting up before the line and being beaten into fourth at the final UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup of the season in Hoogerheide.
The 23-year-old led out a sprint finish for second place from a large chasing group, behind winner Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Premier Tech).
“The disappointment is great, there’s not much more to say,” said Nys afterwards.
“There wasn’t really a plan; it was so fast that I had to gamble for the last lap. I didn’t have the freshest legs, and it was difficult to make a difference.
“I had the feeling that I was the strongest behind Mathieu, but that doesn’t buy you anything. I gave up the sprint. It’s a shame that I couldn’t finish it off for second.”
Nys was surprised by being passed a metre from the line by a fast-finishing Vandeputte for third, adding, “It was my own fault, I had to sprint until the line. I thought I had it, but he (Vandeputte) came with a lot of speed.
“It was a very annoying sprint to start from the front. From behind, they came with much more speed.
“At the end, Niels (Vandeputte) surprised me, but that’s my own fault. I should have sprinted to the finish. There is no excuse for that.”
Reflecting on finishing runner-up behind Van der Poel for the second time in a weekend, Del Grosso said, “This one was an even closer sprint than yesterday (at Maasmechelen).
“When I accelerated out of the final corner, I felt that I…
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