Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) took his first cyclocross podium of the season in the C2-ranked Kasteelcross in Zonnebeke, the final race before the UCI Cyclocross World Championships in Dubendorf, Switzerland, next week, finishing second behind world champion Mathieu van der Poel ( She finished second behind world champion Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix) to take her first cyclo-cross podium of the season.

In the women's race, Luxembourg champion Christine Majerus (Boels-Dolmans) beat Denise Bessema (Pauwels-Sausen-Bingor) in the Dutch rider's first race back after a six-month ban for a positive doping test with anabolic steroids outperformed the others.

Van Aert was surprised at how he felt. It was a very tough cross," he said. I've been a little out of shape the last few days, so I felt better than I expected. So I didn't know what to expect. Today it was all about finding the right balance and keeping a steady pace."

"I am very happy with my first podium and the progress I am making every week. It gives me a lot of confidence."

Jens Adams, who missed out on a place in Belgium's World Championships squad, was third.

Van Art had a strong run, but was 35 seconds behind Van der Pol, who jumped out on the first lap and won solo.

"I felt pretty good right from the start," van der Pol told Sporza. I struggled a bit to find the right line behind all the wheels, but once I was able to get on my line I was happy with my race."

"I was able to get a good start," van der Pol said.

"The course was dangerous with lots of deep ruts. I had to constantly watch. I struggled a few times with the off-camber, but there were a few times when it was perfect."

Sunday's Hogelheide World Cup will be the final test for the racers before the World Championships. 'Tomorrow's cross is a real home race. It's nice to have so many people I know there to watch," van der Pol said. It's nice to have so many people I know there to watch," van der Pol said.

Van Aert and Betsema are trying to get back into shape for the World Championships after a break from racing: Van Aert because of a serious injury sustained in the Tour de France, and Betsema because she tested positive twice for anabolic steroids during the 'cross season last year, They have each been banned from competition.

The athlete from Pauwels-Sausen-Bingor received a six-month off-season suspension from the UCI, claiming that the positive tests were the result of cross-contamination of supplements from a pharmacy. Her case was finalized this week, allowing her to return to racing immediately.

Her teammate Laura Verdoncott told Sporza that she thinks Betsema could be a wild card at the world championships. If Betsema is selected for the World Championships, she will be a surprise. She doesn't have much rhythm yet, but she is not tired from the whole season."