Dendermonde's debut as the host of the UCI Cyclocross World Cup was not a smooth race as the course was covered in mud from winter storm "Bella".

World Champion Mathieu van der Pol, who finished a distant second to the dominant Wout van Aert in the elite men's race, said the race was not World Cup worthy.

"I knew beforehand that this course was for Wout van Aert," van der Pol said shakily in a post-race interview.

"It was not the right course for me. I thought it was a [crappy] course."

"It's not always my thing, but I thought it was not a World Cup-worthy course. That doesn't negate Wout's performance.

Heavy rain and strong winds forced organizers to change the route and remove the flyover bridge.

Organizer Jürgen Mettpenningen responded to Van der Pol's criticisms on Twitter (opens in new tab), suggesting that the world champion be allowed to run the race. 'All week, especially today with the flooding and today with the storm! I could have cancelled, but I chose the most difficult way, along with many volunteers," Metteningen wrote.

The round was originally scheduled to take place in Wachtebeke, but because the venue was under construction, Mettepeningen was forced to find a new location in July. Dendermonde was chosen, but storm Bella flooded the venue this week. A meeting was held Sunday morning to determine conditions, the route was shortened, and bridges were removed, but much of the course was still undrivable.

Van Aert gave a different assessment than Van der Pol after his win. It got worse and worse with each lap, and the sections were longer. I enjoyed it a lot."

After the women ran only 10 km in 45 minutes, Lucinda Brand joked, "I could have gone faster. She added, "I've run 10 kilometers faster. Maybe next time I'll leave my bike at home."

Mark Legg, partner of former U.S. champion Katie Compton, was also critical of the organization, complaining about broken power washers and the lack of parking for the national team.

"I've seen a lot of World Cup races and that might be the bottom of the barrel. I feel for the course workers who were stuck all day in the rain and gusty winds," Legg wrote.

"I have been racing World Cup races for over 10 years. Dendermonde does not belong in a World Cup event."

Compton was one of the riders who got stuck in deep mud and lost time trying to free her legs and bike, finishing in 25th place, four minutes behind women's winner Lucinda Brand.

Video clips of Compton's ordeal led some outlets to label it '2020 in one video.'