Wout Van Aert demolished the field to win the second World Cup of the season at Jingle Cross in Iowa City on Saturday. The world champion broke his toe while on his way to winning the first round at Cross Vegas on Wednesday but decided to start Jingle Cross after two recovery days. But not even an injury or an early-race mechanical could stop him from taking another solo win, this time ahead of Kevin Pauwels and Laurens Sweeck.
Fifty-eight riders lined up at the start of the second World Cup of the season. Start position was crucial and it was Tom Meeusen (Telenet-Fidea) who was the first off the gravel road and into the mud pit. Many of the riders rounded the mud run-through off their bikes, shouldering their bikes.
Telenet-Fidea dominated the opening lap of the race with four riders among the frontrunners over Mt. Krumpit, the circuit’s steep and long climb. The late-afternoon and late-summer heat affected the race and riders, like Meeusen, unzipped their jerseys to allow for better airflow to cool off.
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A long line of riders stayed single file as they orbited the circuit to the tune of Toon Aerts’ pace. Following up front were Laurens Sweeck, Rob Peeters and Corne Van Kessel.
World champion and Cross Vegas World Cup winner Wout Van Aert was also in the mix. He started the race on a broken toe, which would certainly have been a disadvantage on its own, and even more so on this course that required a lot of running. He also had an early mechanical and lost some time on the second lap – but neither seemed to affect his dominating performance.
Even though organisers opened up the fencing through the muddy stretch to expose a grassy strip for the riders, their bikes were still caked with mud and many had to change bikes in the pits on the second lap.
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