Victor Van de Putte finished fifth after a tough race: “I can look back on this with satisfaction” (Bonheiden)

Victor Van de Putte finished fifth at the European Cyclo-Cross Championships in Pontchâteau, France. In a tough race, the Rijmenam native rode to a nice place of honor after a poor start. “This was the highest possible,” said Van de Putte.

“Things did not go so well in the first part of the match,” Van de Putte analyzed his European Championship. “Nevertheless, I got off to a good start. But in the following sections I let myself be pushed away a bit too much and lost a lot of places. Partly because I didn’t feel good about myself in the first part of the competition.”

The rider from Rijmenam came on strong in the second part. A fifth place was a nice reward for his performance. “This was the highest possible today. That means I can look back on it with satisfaction. With four Belgians in the top five, we demonstrate that we really have a very strong class in this age category.”

Last Wednesday, the final-year promise took part in the Koppenbergcross. Did that mean he lacked some freshness? “No. That didn’t play a role today. Unlike Wednesday, we were able to stay on the bike for longer stretches today. And I can’t blame it on that either in terms of recovery. After all, I had recovered sufficiently.”

Yordi Corsus eleventh

First-year promise Yordi Corsus finished eleventh, just outside the top ten. Yet he could also look back with a good feeling. “After a good start, I had to let a number of riders pass just before the beams. After all, I rode on Grifo, an all-round profile. Once I switched to Rhino, things went a lot better. But then I also had bad luck with the gears just after a bike change. I rode around for half a lap with only a rear brake. Still, I’m quite satisfied. The legs were strong and the back and calf problems also seem to have disappeared. Let’s hope that I can continue this trend in the remainder of the season.”

Sick Lore The Creator

The Bonheide Lore De Schepper was less fortunate on Sunday. “What I feared for several days has come true. I had been coughing a lot all week, which made it difficult for me to breathe. As a result, there was no question of going deep. Too bad, because on such a circuit that is really disastrous. Even now, so soon after arrival, the body makes itself felt.”