Wout van Aert crushed the opposition in today's World Cup race in Kokside after the 20-year-old yalent rode more than half of the race on his own. Afterwards, he admitted to being pretty surprised by the outcome.

"Before the race I had a more exciting scendario in mind. The fact that I managed to ride more than half of the race alone in the front just makes it even more beatiful," he told Sporza.

"Especially the final lap felt really good. The applause of the audience gave me goose bumps. I can win here at 20 years of age which is certainly not possible for everybody. To win another classics after the Koppenbergcross is really special.

"These are two big races in Belgium to win and when you choose the races that you want to win for the season, I think Koksijde and the Koppenbergcross are ones that every rider wants on their resume. I have them now, in my first year as a pro.”

Last year his team manager won the race and in 2012 he was world champion on the course in Koksijde. The Belgian was forced to retire due to heart problems and is now a manager at van Aert's Vastgoedservice team.

"During the race, I often thought about Niels," van Aert said. "I also celebrated like he and Paul Heygers did. It was not very ingenious but it was a great moment. I am very happy here and this is not going to change anytime soon."