Mathieu van der Poel claimed a fifth career win in the Koksijde dunes, turning round six of the UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup into another controlled display of power and timing.
The World Champion used a vicious lap‑4 acceleration through a series of dunes to crack Laurens Sweeck and ride to victory in 56:36, his third World Cup win in a row.
Elite Men Results
TBD • Dec 21
| Pos | Rider | NATNationality | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🥇 | Mathieu VAN DER POEL | NED | 0:56:36 |
| 🥈 | Laurens SWEECK | BEL | +0:07 |
| 🥉 | Niels VANDEPUTTE | BEL | +0:13 |
| 4 | Tibor DEL GROSSO | NED | +0:23 |
| 5 | Toon AERTS | BEL | +1:04 |
| 6 | Toon VANDEBOSCH | BEL | +1:17 |
| 7 | Joran WYSEURE | BEL | +1:20 |
| 8 | Cameron MASON | GBR | +1:26 |
| 9 | Michael VANTHOURENHOUT | BEL | +1:37 |
| 10 | Mees HENDRIKX | NED | +1:38 |
| 11 | Lars VAN DER HAAR | NED | +1:39 |
| 12 | Pim RONHAAR | NED | +2:08 |
| 13 | Emiel VERSTRYNGE | BEL | +2:09 |
| 14 | Kevin KUHN | SUI | +2:09 |
| 15 | Witse MEEUSSEN | BEL | +2:24 |
| 16 | Ryan KAMP | NED | +2:32 |
| 17 | Filippo FONTANA | ITA | +3:03 |
| 18 | Victor VAN DE PUTTE | BEL | +3:37 |
| 19 | Théo THOMAS | FRA | +3:45 |
| 20 | Michael BOROŠ | CZE | +4:03 |
| 21 | Felipe ORTS LLORET | ESP | +4:21 |
| 22 | Nathan BOMMENEL | FRA | +4:31 |
| 23 | Tristan VERRIER | FRA | +4:37 |
| 24 | Filippo AGOSTINACCHIO | ITA | +4:47 |
| 25 | Bailey GROENENDAAL | DEN | +5:05 |
| 26 | Kevin SUAREZ FERNANDEZ | ESP | +5:19 |
| 27 | Danny VAN LIEROP | NED | +5:37 |
| 28 | Anton FERDINANDE | BEL | +6:09 |
| 29 | David MENUT | FRA | +6:18 |
| 30 | Gonzalo INGUANZO MACHO | ESP | +6:42 |
| 31 | Martin GROSLAMBERT | FRA | +6:55 |
| 32 | Timothé GABRIEL | FRA | +7:09 |
| 33 | Federico CEOLIN | ITA | +7:10 |
| 34 | Lars SOMMER | SUI | +7:13 |
| 35 | Mario JUNQUERA SAN MILLAN | ESP | +7:22 |
| 36 | Tyler CLARK | CAN | +7:59 |
| 37 | Matyáš FIALA | CZE | - |
| 38 | Andrew STROHMEYER | USA | - |
| 39 | Michael GAßNER | GER | - |
| 40 | David RISBERG | SWE | - |
| 41 | Lukas HERRMANN | GER | - |
| 42 | Dylan ZAKRAJSEK | USA | - |
| 43 | Nicolas BARD | SUI | - |
| 44 | Florian HAMM | GER | - |
| 45 | Luca HARTER | GER | - |
| 46 | Jacob TURNER | NZL | - |
| 47 | Cody SCOTT | CAN | - |
| 48 | Javier ZAERA GISBERT | ESP | - |
| 49 | Philipp HEIGL | AUT | - |
| 50 | Robin RAUTZENBERG | GER | - |
| 51 | Frederick JUNGE | USA | - |
| 52 | Marcos GOMEZ VEGA | ESP | - |
| 53 | Dries BRUYNSEELS | SVK | - |
| 54 | Tetsuki KAJI | JPN | - |
| 55 | Dovydas LUKŠAS | LTU | - |
| 56 | Yuta OKAYAMA | JPN | - |
Van der Poel detonates the race on lap 4
The opening laps were cagey by Koksijde standards. A select group formed early: Van der Poel, Sweeck, Niels Vandeputte, Toon Aerts and Tibor Del Grosso. Alpecin–Deceuninck quickly stacked the front, with Del Grosso policing the pace while Van der Poel sat a wheel back, reading lines and saving matches.
Lap 4 was the decisive blow. Van der Poel dropped a 7:43 – the fastest lap of the race – driving the running sections and riding deeper into the sand than anyone else. Sweeck couldn’t hold the wheel, and the elastic snapped. From there, Van der Poel rode two more sub‑8‑minute laps to build a cushion he could manage to the line.
"It's one of my favourite races," Van der Poel said afterwards, "I was just looking a bit at what the others were doing. I just went to the front and in the sand, it's always easier if you can do your own lines... I decided to go for it."
Sweeck wins the sand fight for second
Behind, Sweeck settled into damage control, then lit a 7:45 final lap to slash the gap to 7 s – close on paper, but more a statement of endurance than a genuine threat. “It was very hard in the end. I had some good sections in the sand but the other guys did too, so it was a fight until the end,” he admitted. "I knew when Mathieu was gone that second was the best possible". Once Van der Poel’s mid‑race effort landed, the physical difference told.
Vandeputte’s negative‑split ride (quickest laps in the final third) earned him third at +13 s, while Del Grosso rounded out a dominant Alpecin block in fourth.
How the race unfolded
- Lap 1–2: Lead group forms; Sweeck calmly matches Van der Poel’s first sand probes.
- Lap 3: Del Grosso sets tempo, freezing the race at the front and shutting the door on chasers like Mason and Vanthourenhout.
- Lap 4: Van der Poel’s 7:43 lap shreds the group; only Sweeck limits losses.
- Lap 5–6: Gaps stabilise; Aerts fades from the podium battle.
- Final lap: Sweeck launches a late sand charge, Vandeputte secures third, Van der Poel backs off the risk with the win in hand.
Stakes for the World Cup
This was Van der Poel’s 14th consecutive cross win across two winters. Even if his focus isn't on the World Cup overall, he is increasingly cementing his position as a truly unbeatable cyclocross rider. More quietly, Koksijde confirmed just how hard it will be to beat Alpecin–Deceuninck in heavy sand: three riders in the top four, and every key move on their terms.
Cover image (Van der Poel pictured in 2024) credit: Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com
