Van Aert miscalculated final stage of European Time Trial Championship due to Küng's fall: "That might have been a mistake on my part"

Wout van Aert finished third at the European Time Trial Championships in Drenthe on Wednesday. The Belgian rider from Jumbo-Visma, whose teammate Nathan Van Hooydonck announced his retirement earlier in the day, was content with his result.

Before the race, Van Aert had identified the young Welshman Joshua Tarling as the clear favorite, and he proved to be an accurate judge. Tarling outpaced Van Aert by a significant 43-second margin at the finish line in Emmen. Reigning champion Stefan Bissegger squeezed in between them, finishing just one second ahead of Van Aert in the northern Netherlands.

However, the most attention on the podium in Drenthe was focused on Van Aert. He believed he had secured second place when he saw Stefan Küng ahead of him on the final straight. Unbeknownst to him, Küng had suffered a serious crash into the barriers in Drenthe moments before. Van Aert acknowledged that this may have cost him a bit of power at the finish and wondered if it was his fault, but he recognized that Joshua Tarling was the strongest competitor.

Van Aert lost "just that percent" in European Championship time trial in Emmen

"My time trial was consistent, but not at the top level," Van Aert admitted. "The first 20 kilometers went well, just as I had planned. However, in the last part, I experienced a slight dip in performance, which may have cost me the extra percentage needed to achieve a better result."

As he prepares for Sunday's road race, Van Aert remains cautious about making premature judgments. "At least I'm feeling healthy again," he mentioned, referring to his bout of stomach flu last week. "That's a positive sign. I hope to recover my form from the Tour of Britain for the road race. With a strong Belgian team, we already have a good chance."