Laurens Sweeck (Crelan-Corendon) was the best of the rest after finishing runner-up in both sand UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup events this weekend at Antwerp and Koksijde.
However, the 32-year-old, nicknamed ‘The Sand Man’ was unable to match the pure strength of world champion Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck).
Sweeck overcame Van der Poel’s teammates Niels Vandeputte and Tibor Del Grosso in a last-lap battle to finish runner-up – a repeat of his result the previous day.
“Two weeks ago [without Van der Poel] it was a victory, I’m happy with it,” said Sweeck afterwards.
“It was very hard in the end. I had some good sections in the sand, but the other guys also.
“It was a fight until the end.”
Sweeck has taken 70 victories during a successful cyclocross career, but only one coming this season – at the Superprestige in Niel.
He also won last season in Koksijde and, after placing second the previous day to Van der Poel, was thought to be the seven-time world champion’s biggest challenger.
“I let myself be dropped away a bit stupidly and I made a few mistakes in the sand myself,” said Sweeck about when the world champion attacked.
“Then I was actually dependent on chasing myself [back to the leading group], the moment Mathieu [Van der Poel] was attacking.
“I did try for a while, but I felt that it was not possible to bring him back at the time. Then you have to focus on a podium place.
“I would have liked to take a few more laps in the lead [of the chasing group], and I succeeded in the end.
“I really made the best passage [in the sand sections] of the whole cross the last lap. I had the feeling that I was taking seconds there.
“I just tried, the advantage of being in the lead is that you can allow your mistakes and that if the rest make mistakes behind you, that is in your favour.
“I think that works out well in…
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