In a display of dominance that has become his signature, Mathieu van der Poel secured a historic eighth UCI Cyclo-cross World Championship title in Hulst with a truly stunning solo effort.
Racing on home soil, the Dutchman delivered a masterclass that left no doubt as to who is the greatest of all time in the discipline.
The Championships were held on a technical and slick 3.3km course featuring the infamous ramparts – complete with steep banks, new pontoons and heavy mud.
Elite Men Results
Hulst • Feb 1
| Pos | Rider | NATNationality | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🥇 | Mathieu VAN DER POEL | NED | 1:00:25 |
| 🥈 | Tibor DEL GROSSO | NED | +0:35 |
| 🥉 | Thibau NYS | BEL | +0:46 |
| 4 | Joris NIEUWENHUIS | NED | +0:55 |
| 5 | Filippo FONTANA | ITA | +0:55 |
| 6 | Gerben KUYPERS | BEL | +0:58 |
| 7 | Felipe ORTS LLORET | ESP | +1:04 |
| 8 | Toon AERTS | BEL | +1:04 |
| 9 | Jente MICHELS | BEL | +1:04 |
| 10 | Michael VANTHOURENHOUT | BEL | +1:35 |
| 11 | Kevin KUHN | SUI | +1:44 |
| 12 | Mees HENDRIKX | NED | +1:51 |
| 13 | Joran WYSEURE | BEL | +2:09 |
| 14 | Michael BOROŠ | CZE | +2:15 |
| 15 | Martin GROSLAMBERT | FRA | +2:26 |
| 16 | David MENUT | FRA | +2:42 |
| 17 | Ryan KAMP | NED | +2:51 |
| 18 | Danny VAN LIEROP | NED | +2:57 |
| 19 | Lars VAN DER HAAR | NED | +3:06 |
| 20 | Loris ROUILLER | SUI | +3:19 |
| 21 | Cameron MASON | GBR | +3:24 |
| 22 | Nathan BOMMENEL | FRA | +3:40 |
| 23 | Toon VANDEBOSCH | BEL | +4:11 |
| 24 | Rémi LELANDAIS | FRA | +4:14 |
| 25 | Fabian EDER | GER | +4:20 |
| 26 | Marcel MEISEN | GER | +4:28 |
| 27 | Niels VANDEPUTTE | BEL | +4:35 |
| 28 | Mario JUNQUERA SAN MILLAN | ESP | +4:38 |
| 29 | Kevin SUAREZ FERNANDEZ | ESP | +4:49 |
| 30 | Pim RONHAAR | NED | +6:03 |
| 31 | Andrew STROHMEYER | USA | +6:56 |
| 32 | Lars SOMMER | SUI | -1 LAP |
| 33 | David RISBERG | SWE | -1 LAP |
| 34 | Karl-Erik ROSENDAHL | DEN | -1 LAP |
| 35 | Cody SCOTT | CAN | -1 LAP |
| 36 | Jacob TURNER | NZL | -1 LAP |
| 37 | Felipe Timoteo NYSTROM SPENCER | CRC | -1 LAP |
| 38 | Dovydas LUKŠAS | LTU | -1 LAP |
Van der Poel's pressure and punch
While Tibor del Grosso took the holeshot, Van der Poel was immediately present at the front. The euphoric spectators did not have to wait long for the decisive move. An elite selection of Van der Poel, Del Grosso and Belgian Thibau Nys quickly formed at the head of the race, with Van der Poel immediately proving the strongest on the muddy corners, steep grassy banks and technical descents.
Van der Poel’s attack was not a sudden acceleration but a slow, relentless pressure that shed Del Grosso early in the second lap. By halfway through the lap, the elastic had snapped completely.
Behind him, the battle for silver and bronze raged between Del Grosso and Nys. On the final lap, Nys faltered on the course’s steep, churned-up muddy climb, losing traction and momentum as Del Grosso opened a decisive gap.
Crossing the line alone, Van der Poel sat up to celebrate, soaking in the adulation of the Dutch crowd with more than 30 seconds to spare and the record secured.
Photo credits: Simon Wilkinson/SWpix.com
Eight is enough
Speaking after the race finish, Van der Poel said of the record streak, “Of course the first one is maybe always the most special, but even then I never imagined having the record one day. It is a record that has stood for a very long time and maybe no one thought it could be broken.
“I just wanted to have a high pace for the whole race to make it as hard as possible. I knew it was going to be very difficult to drop them from the first acceleration, and I think I rode a good race overall."
On the prospect of extending his record to ten wins, Van der Poel was a little more reserved. “Ten is a really nice number, but I’m already happy with eight," he said. "We will see in the future how many I will participate in.”
Cover image credit: Simon Wilkinson/SWpix.com
