On the sandy course of the Zilvermeer provincial domain, Sweeck was the first to try to start the race on the 3rd lap. There were soon only four men left in his wheel: the trio of favorites and Hermans. Victory would be decided between them. Sweeck accelerated again in the next loop, Pidcock, less comfortable in the sections on foot in the sand, had to let go. Van Aert took the gear and soon it was only van der Poel and Hermans to follow the wearer of the black-yellow-red jersey. But when van der Poel took the lead at the start of lap 5, van Aert was the only one to hold on.
The expected duel could begin. At the end of the 6th lap, Sweeck, Hermans and Pidcock were at 38 seconds. Van Aert pushed hard on lap 7 and managed to dig a small hole just before a sandy section and the gap quickly increased to 7 seconds on the exit and 12 seconds crossing the line. Pidcock and Hermans were 1:02 behind. In the last two laps, the Dutchman never managed to come back to the leader, his delay had risen to 34 seconds after the 8th lap. Behind him, Pidcock, at 1:21 tried to get rid of Hermans who clung at 1:24.
On December 4 in Antwerp, on the occasion of the 8th round of the World Cup, during the first confrontation between the three kings of the plowed, van der Poel was 23 seconds ahead of second-placed van Aert. Pidcock had to settle for 8th place at 1:14.