Laurens Sweeck proved that he is not far from the best cyclo-cross riders when he finished third at the Zilvermeercross in Mol where most of the best riders were in attendance.

"I have almost always been on the podium here. I was already very strong on this course, also in the youth categories," he told Het Nieuwsblad. "Last year I was also on the podium in the elite race and today was no different.

"It was a very difficult race with the sand. In the end, I was no longer at my best. I was really still in pursuit of Wout but saw that Mathieu was getting closer. At a certain point, I had to let him pass me. I'm already happy with this third place. Take another look at the field. Almost everyone was at the start of this race. I can only be pleased with this."