Bart Aernouts won the Grand Prix Groenendaal on Sunday, besting Rabobank teammate Gerben de Knegt by 34 seconds and Thijs Al by 57 seconds in Sint Michielsgestel, The Netherlands.
Current Dutch 'cross champion and former world champion Lars Boom competed in his first cyclo-cross race of the season but wasn't a factor in the race, ultimately finishing in 22nd place, 4:04 off the pace of Aernouts.
"Today was all perfect," Aernouts told Sporza. "I could ride at my own pace. I gave everything on the straights and took no risks in the corners. That is the fastest way to get through because you make no mistakes.
"I am very happy with my season. Albert, Nys and Stybar are hard to beat but I am right behind them. I've been getting fourth, fifth and sixth spots...I could not before."
The 27-year-old Belgian has fond memories of the Sint Michielsgestel venue, having won the Junior world cyclo-cross championship here in 2000. "I like racing in the Netherlands and I have a special relationship with Gestel."
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| 1 | Bart Aernouts (Bel) Rabobank | 1:04:35 |
| 2 | Gerben de Knegt (Ned) Rabobank | 0:00:34 |
| 3 | Thijs Al (Ned) AA Drink Cycling Team | 0:00:57 |
| 4 | Tijmen Eising (Ned) Sunweb Revor | 0:01:00 |
| 5 | Mitchell Huenders (Ned) AA Drink Cycling Team | 0:01:29 |
| 6 | Eddy van IJzendoorn (Ned) AA Drink Cycling Team | 0:01:37 |
| 7 | Thijs Van Amerongen (Ned) AA Drink Cycling Team | 0:01:44 |
| 8 | Bram Schmitz (Ned) Van Vliet - EBH Advocaten - Elshof | 0:01:50 |
| 9 | David Derepas (Fra) UVCA Troyes | 0:01:55 |
| 10 | Corne Van Kessel (Ned) Telent-Fidea Cycling Team | 0:02:08 |
| 11 | Twan van den Brand (Ned) Sunweb Revor | Row 10 - Cell 2 |
| 12 | Patrick Van Leeuwen (Ned) | Row 11 - Cell 2 |
| 13 | Rudi Van Houts (Ned) | Row 12 - Cell 2 |
| 14 | Lars Van Der Haar (Ned) AA Drink Cycling Team | Row 13 - Cell 2 |
| 15 | Micki van Empel (Ned) ZZPR.nl-Destil-Merida | 0:02:30 |
| 16 | Ramon Sinkeldam (Ned) Rabobank Continental | 0:02:35 |
| 17 | Jan Van Dael (Bel) Sunweb Revor | Row 16 - Cell 2 |
| 18 | Tom Van den Bosch (Bel) AA Drink Cycling Team | 0:03:04 |
| 19 | Maurits Lammertink (Ned) WV De Jonge Renner | 0:03:10 |
| 20 | Wilant van Gils (Ned) | 0:03:24 |
| 21 | Roy Van Heeswijk (Ned) ZZPR.nl-Destil-Merida | 0:03:29 |
| 22 | Lars Boom (Ned) Rabobank | 0:04:04 |
| 23 | Edwin Arts (Ned) Jagersveld Cycling Team | 0:04:31 |
| 24 | Geert Van Der Horst (Ned) ZZPR.nl-Destil-Merida | 0:04:54 |
| 25 | Boy van Poppel (Ned) Rabobank Continental | 0:04:59 |
| 26 | Dries Pauwels (Bel) | 0:05:07 |
| 27 | Jerome Townsend (USA) Bikereg.com/Joe's Garage/IF | 0:05:24 |
| 28 | Christoph Pfingsten (Ger) Van Vliet - EBH Advocaten - Elshof | 0:05:29 |
| 29 | Micha de Vries (Ned) | 0:05:33 |
| 30 | Johim Ariesen (Ned) Cyclingteam Jo Piels | 0:05:41 |
| 31 | Rik Van Ijzendoorn (Ned) | 0:05:46 |
| 32 | Keiichi Tsujiura (Jpn) | 0:05:50 |
| 33 | Justin Lindine (USA) Bikereg.com/Joe's Garage/IF | 0:05:52 |
| 34 | Roel van Houtum (Ned) | 0:05:58 |
| 35 | Harm van der Sanden (Ned) Baby-dump-Lemmens-Wilvo Wielerteam | 0:06:07 |
| 36 | Kobus Hereijgers (Ned) ZZPR.nl-Destil-Merida | Row 35 - Cell 2 |
| 37 | Jordy Luisman (Ned) RSE Cycling Team | Row 36 - Cell 2 |
| 38 | Yu Takenouchi (Jpn) | 0:06:12 |
| 39 | Jorn Van Veen (Ned) | 0:06:16 |
| 40 | Kaj Slenter (Ned) Parkhotel Rooding Cycling Team | 0:06:22 |
| 41 | Mike Carrigan (Can) | Row 40 - Cell 2 |
| 42 | Travis Livermon (USA) Champion System/Cannondale | Row 41 - Cell 2 |
| 43 | Kevin Smit (Ned) | 0:07:25 |
| 44 | Patrick Van Nunen (Ned) RTC De Hoekse Renners | Row 43 - Cell 2 |
| 45 | Rob Van Der Heijden (Ned) | Row 44 - Cell 2 |
| 46 | Tim Ottens (Ned) | Row 45 - Cell 2 |
| 47 | Moreno Hofland (Ned) Rabobank Continental | Row 46 - Cell 2 |
| 48 | Steve Fisher (USA) | Row 47 - Cell 2 |
| 49 | Guus Smits (Ned) | Row 48 - Cell 2 |
| 50 | Peter Woestenberg (Ned) RTC De Hoekse Renners | Row 49 - Cell 2 |
| 51 | Tommy Van Beem (Ned) | Row 50 - Cell 2 |
| 52 | Patrick de Laat (Ned) Berlicum NB (Ned) | Row 51 - Cell 2 |
| 53 | Nard Louws (Ned) | Row 52 - Cell 2 |
| 54 | Rick Van Deursen (Ned) | Row 53 - Cell 2 |
| 55 | Jacob De Roo (Ned) ZRTC Theo Middelkamp | Row 54 - Cell 2 |
| 56 | Mark Smit (Ned) | Row 55 - Cell 2 |
| 57 | Hans Becking (Ned) | Row 56 - Cell 2 |
| 58 | Marco Minnaard (Ned) ZRTC Theo Middelkamp | Row 57 - Cell 2 |
| 59 | Bart Barkhuis (Ned) | Row 58 - Cell 2 |
| 60 | Casper Fransen (Ned) | Row 59 - Cell 2 |
| 61 | Masashi Matsui (Jpn) | Row 60 - Cell 2 |
| 62 | Bram Wind (Ned) | Row 61 - Cell 2 |
| 63 | Marcel Lommers (Ned) | Row 62 - Cell 2 |
| 64 | Kaey Van Rij (Ned) | Row 63 - Cell 2 |
| 65 | Joe Dombrowski (USA) | Row 64 - Cell 2 |
| 66 | Rick Van De Helder (Ned) | Row 65 - Cell 2 |
| 67 | Geert Kuit (Ned) | Row 66 - Cell 2 |
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