World Champion Wout Van Aert overcame an early crash to take the first World Cup of the new season Wednesday at CrossVegas. Van Aert powered away from a large lead group with two-and-a-half laps remaining and never saw the rest of the field again. Michael Vanthourenhout led the chase across the line 22 seconds later for second, followed by Laurens Sweek, another three seconds back.
"The crash was very painful," Van Aert admitted after the race. "But afterwards I got a boost of adrenalin, so I made it very quick back to the front. Afterwards I felt my effort and I was not sure at all that I could do the final move, but in the beginning sometimes it's a disadvantage if you're the main favourite because everyone is looking at you. But once you have a gap it seems like nobody was reacting and they were happy with second place, I guess, so that made it more easy for me in the final."
The men’s race started inauspiciously with a large early crash that slung about 20 riders into the barriers on the left-hand side of the course, while the riders ahead of the crash surged into the opening lap on the heavy grass.
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Nine riders created a separation on the second lap, and that group was quickly whittled down to three as Van Aert, Vanthourenhout and Laurens Sweek slipped off the front.
The lead group grew to about 10 riders as they started the third lap, with another group of three dangling behind and a large gap to the rest of the field. With no one willing to take control at the front, the lead group continued to swell throughout the first half of the third lap.
Sweek then went to the front and applied pressure that pared the lead group down to six before Quinten Hermans attacked and rode slightly off the front of the group.
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