Today Gavere's course featured sectors of mud and a lot of running on foot: it seemed like the perfect situation for Van Aert but today Van Der Poel isn't there. The terrible trio, Van Aert-Pidcock-Van Der Poel, started strong and soon made the difference, with Van Aert who decided to start more calmly while Pidcock today wants to prove that he is not inferior to his 2 bitter rivals.
In the middle of the race, Van Der Poel gives his first real razor and gains a handful of seconds on Pidcock and Van Aert. Behind the trio, the challenge between "human beings", sees Vanthourenhout and Sweeck fighting for 4th place and for the general classification. The race continues as normal with Van Der Poel in front but behind Pidcock and Van Aert fall on the Dutchman.
But in the penultimate lap, Van der Poel forced the pace again with Pidock giving way and Van Aert remaining a few meters away from the Alpecin talent. During the last lap Van Der Poel still gains a handful of seconds and wins with a 27″ lead over Van Aert. Pidcock is 3rd at 54″. Fourth place for Vanthourenhout at 1'18”.
The first of the Italians, as always in this 2022, was Gioele Bertolini (23rd). The Italian champion Jakob Dorigoni, Samuele Gilioli, Lorenzo Masciarelli and Loris Tursi are also at the start. Tomorrow rematch in Zolder.
MEN'S ELITE RANKING
| 1 |  VAN DER POEL Mathieu | ALPECIN - DECEUNINCK | 57:14 |
| 2 |  VAN AERT Wout | 0:27 | |
| 3 |  PIDCOCK Tom | 0:54 | |
| 4 | VANTHOURENHOUT Michael | PAUWELS SAUZEN - BINGOAL | 1:53 |
| 5 | VAN DER HAIR Lars | BALOISE TREK LIONS | 2:20 |
| 6 | SWEECK Laurens | CRELAN - FRISTADS | 2:55 |
| 7 | NYS Thibau | BALOISE TREK LIONS | 3:50 |
| 8 | VANDEBOSCH Toon | ALPECIN - DECEUNINCK | 3:57 |
| 9 | MASON Cameron | TRINITY RACING CROSS | 4:02 |
| 10 | KUYPERS Gerben | 4:10 |
WORLD CUP RANKING
WOMEN RACE
All Dutch fight again with encore of Team Baloise Trek Lions thanks to Shirin Van Androoij and Lucina Brand. Third place for Puck Pieterse. No Italian at the start. 21st place for Francesca Baroni and 22nd place for Sara Casasola.
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FEMALE ELITE RANKING
| 1 | VAN ANROOIJ Shirin | BALOISE TREK LIONS | 47:02 |
| 2 | BRAND Lucinda | BALOISE TREK LIONS | 0:37 |
| 3 | PIETERSE Puck | ALPECIN - DECEUNINCK | 0:50 |
| 4 | BACKSTEDT Zoe | 1:01 | |
| 5 |  VAS Blanka Kata | 1:17 | |
| 6 |  HONSINGER Clara | 1:24 | |
| 7 | WORST Annemarie | 777 | 1:35 |
| 8 | BAKKER Manon | CRELAN - FRISTADS | 1:48 |
| 9 | VAN ALPHEN Aniek | 777 | 2:14 |
| 10 | VAN DER HEIJDEN Eng | 777 | 2:30 |
WORLD CUP RANKING
RESULTS OTHER CATEGORIES
