“The level in cross-country has increased in recent years,

 Although he has seven cyclocross victories to his palmares, not since 2018 has the now 32-year-old Corné van Kessel crossed the line with his arms aloft in celebration.

“The level in cross-country has increased in recent years, I cannot ignore that. With the wattages I achieved four or five years ago, I simply can't get there anymore," the Dutchman admits in conversation with Wielerflits. 

"My own wattages have also increased, right? But probably not as hard as with the other men.”

Although the absences of the likes of Mathieu van der Poel, Wout van Aert and Tom Pidcock have seen an open start to the cyclocross season with the likes of Thibau Nys, Michael Vanthourenhout, Eli Iserbyt, Pim Ronhaar and Lars van der Haar among others all taking wins. For van Kessel, the best performance being 3rd in his season opener at the Kleeberg Cross in Mechelen.

“You always try to do new things to improve yourself. Sometimes it works well, other times it doesn't," he explains. “I don't know whether those trainer and team changes are the reason why things went less well. I have always been very good with Kris Wouters. And with my new trainer Kees-Jan, it is logical that there is still some searching involved, for example how I respond to certain training sessions. But what is especially important is that the level in cyclocross has certainly not dropped. The youth who have joined are just a class higher and you can just feel that.”

Nevertheless, he remains optimistic. “The ambition is still to be on the podium, but that is one that is becoming increasingly difficult to achieve. Usually I just go from cross to cross, but I always try to give the best of myself," he concludes positively.