Tom Pidcock ‘made a couple of far too lots of mistakes’ and finishes seventh in Merksplas, Laurens Sweeck usually takes race earn

Tom Pidcock endured a disappointing afternoon in his cyclo-cross time debut on Saturday, finishing seventh in the Superprestige sequence race in Merksplas.

Pidcock experienced to adjust bikes as the race entered its 3rd lap and admitted that the class was not ideal for his return, as the Brit failed to make a problem for the podium.

“My degree was Ok, but I was dropping time in a lot of sites. Then I crashed, and then designed a few too many problems. But I’m delighted. It was not negative.”

It was the 23-calendar year-old’s initial visual appeal considering that getting world winner in January, and appeared proper to ease expectations bordering his return on a aggravating working day in Belgium.

The issues commenced for Pidcock when reigning European winner Michael Vanthourenhout fell on to his wheel in what was a specifically uncomfortable, windy ditch section, but the Ineos Grenadiers rider was able to retain his harmony.

Having said that, the day belonged to Laurens Sweeck, who carried out beautifully and led all through all of the 8 laps, as the Crelan-Fristads rider concluded 5 seconds ahead of Lars van der Haar of Baloise Trek Lions.

“I was able to make a big difference right from the commence without genuinely getting to thrust,” Sweeck told Wielerflits. “That worked in my favour the full recreation. There were tiny issues, not massive kinds.”

Vanthourenhout (Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal) took the ultimate position on the podium, though Eli Iserbyt (Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal) arrived fourth in advance of team-mate Ryan Kamp in fifth.

Then arrived Niels Vandeputte (Alpecin-Deceuninck) in sixth, who was put one place forward of planet winner Pidcock in seventh.

It was 3rd time lucky for Sweeck at this training course, as he had finished third in just about every of the past two a long time at Merksplas.

This was a efficiency of maturity from the Belgian, who shrugged off the difficulties from Van der Haar and Iserbyt, who both equally tried and unsuccessful to near what experienced develop into a 17-second hole away from the leader.

Van der Haar was in a position to consider advantage of setbacks from Iserbyt to cement 2nd spot, as Sweeck made mild perform of a tough program to cruise past the complete line and protected a next consecutive Superprestige get.