VIDEO: Tense Final Moments of Wout Van Aert’s Victory at Benidorm as He Ends van der Poel’s Magnificent Streak

Sunday’s cyclocross race at Benidorm was a spectacle like no other, with many firsts and little heartbreaks. Belgian cyclist Maverick Wout van Aert crossed the finish line after a series of tense moments leading up to it. His victory at Benidorm was his first of the season, which effectively ended Mathieu van der Poel’s magnificent and almost dream-like streak of 10 wins.

It was his final race of the cyclocross season, and there was no better way for him to sign off from the season. The race was the penultimate one of the season and a highly anticipated one, owing to the rich vein of form both van Aert and van der Poel were in. Let’s examine how the former overcame tense moments and sealed a memorable win.

Benidorm delivers a cycling classic

Wout had a near-perfect race at Benidorm, putting no foot wrong in the entire race except in the final few seconds of his dash. It was during the penultimate lap that he chose to attack when he raced along a slightly uphill climb near the finish. As he made his way to the planks, he got his cycle and crossed them, and fell down in the bid to finish quick.

A video on X showed his nervy moments, as the saddle of his seat broke and fell away. Not affected by any of it, Wout van Aert got on his ride and powered through without a seat to seal the win for him and his team. It was a thrilling finish to another thrilling race in the UCI Cyclocross World Cup.

He wore a delighted look on his face after the finish and raised his hands aloft in celebration. Speaking to the media after the race, he said, “I felt quite strong today. Obviously Mathieu was also really strong and also had quite some bad luck. It is a bit unfortunate it didn’t come down to a battle, but still when Mathieu crashed in the final I had to beat all the others. That was not easy, so I am happy I was able to do that.”

Internet reacts to a dramatic finish at the UCI Championships

The video shared online got several fans talking about the close and tense finish. It was a heart-in-the-mouth moment for all, so let’s dive in and check what people had to say about it.

There was so much going on in the final few seconds that this user could not understand what fell from his bike.

Things could have gone very south for Wout van Aert if he fell in an awkward manner, and this user believed so, too, saying it was a close save.

After losing his saddle, van Aert had no choice but to reach the finish line without it, and he did!

A victory like this must feel so much sweeter, and this user, too, expressed their joy for Wout.

Taking the limelight away from his triumph at Benidorm, this user expressed his desire to buy the shorts van Aert had on.

What a way to end your season! Whoever said that there are no fairytale endings in sports has clearly missed out on some memorable games in their life!

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