Wout van Aert (Jumbo Visma) handily won Saturday's 21st edition of X2O Badkamers Trofee Flandriencross in Hamme, Belgium, claiming first place ahead of teammates Eli Iserbyt and European champion Michael Vanthourenhout (Pauwels Sauzen–Bingoal).
Pim Ronhaar (Pauwels Sauzen–Bingoal) took fourth place, more than a minute down on the winner, and Lars van der Haar (Baloise Trek Lions), who is second behind Iserbyt in the Flandriencross overall classification, took fifth.
Van Aert, who hasn't finished lower than second place this season, took charge from the starting gun and pulled out an early lead ahead of the Puwels Sauzen-Bingoel teammates. The Belgian champion held his advantage for the hour-long competition, showing excellent form before the world championships in Hoogerheide next weekend.
"I think the form was really, really good today," Van Aert told reporters at the finish line. "I could take distance from the beginning, which meant a hard race at the front for a long time, but it was definitely worth it. It was a good day, a good test and a hard race."
With the high temperature sitting at just 4 degrees Celsius, round six of Flandriencross was a chilly affair for the 33 elite riders who took the start line, looking to hone their form a week out from the world championships.
Van Aert pulled away with a group of six in the opening lap but quickly and effortlessly took charge through the muddy pit section a lap later, shattering the front group and leaving the overall series leader, Iserbyt and Vanthourenhout, in pursuit.
The wind seemed to go out of the sails of the Van Aert's chase group by the time they hit the third lap out of nine. Pim Ronhaar (Pauwels Sauzen–Bingoal) joined his teammates, Iserbyt and Vanthourenhout, and helped with the chase, but by then, they were already 20 seconds back on van Aert and racing for second place. Lap after lap, Van Aert continued to put time into his closest rivals and crossed the finish line 46 seconds ahead of second place.
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