The Dutch Mathieu Van der Poel (Alpecin Premier Tech) debuted the spring classics season with a solo performance that gave him his first victory at the Omloop Nieuwsbladdisputed between Ghent and Ninove with a route of 207.2 km.
After his glorious ride in the cyclocross season with the eighth and historic rainbow jersey, in the Flemish event that removes the seal from the classic season, Van der Poel (Kepellen, 31 years old) pulled masterfully to win in his style, alone, by a landslide, and after a long escape.
Van der Poel advances the story. He includes the Omloop in his record. Among his 57 victories he has 3 Flanders, 3 Paris Roubaix, 2 Milan San Remo, Amstel, Strade Bianche, in addition to the record of 8 cyclocross world titles. Bigger words.
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Full transcript
Clear. Now that’s very printing that
speed, that power, Mati
power on the bicycle without stepping off the ground has to be printer a
ella
all out all out if you want to go up you have to do it that’s a good test this one
ride to see how each one goes, it’s at full power
but there are actually two, three more pedal strokes left.
And again Tibor. Tibor does it again
the brute beast Mati Van Der Poel in those last meters of the race,
becoming a legend.
He already was, as we said, but even more so, and more so in his country
Mathieu Van Der Poel winning his eighth world championship in
cyclocross
men sprout and wither like wheat in winter but these names
like Mathieu Van’s
Der Poel will never die world champion for the eighth time.
Van der Poel achieves his eighth cyclocross world championship incontestably
“The beast” reached the finish line with a time of 4h.54.56, followed 22 seconds by his former breakaway teammates, his compatriot Van Dijke (Red Bull Bora) and the Belgian Florian Vermeesch.
Controlled escape to the area of hills and cobblestones
Soon 5 men from the peloton jumped out, braving the rain: the Frenchman from Burgos Burpellet BH Clément Alleno, Krijnsen (Jayco-AlUla), Renard (Cofidis), Van Hemelen (Flanders-Baloise) and Brunel (TotalEnergies). The whole race ahead, little chance of success.
None of them were dangerous for the big favorites, however Van der Poel’s Alpecin-Premier Tech and Paul Magnier’s Soudal-Quick Step were in charge of keeping the rebels at bay, with around a 3-minute maximum advantage.
The turning point of the race took place in the Eikenberg section (km 142). The main teams began to move their pawns. Visma became tense with Zingle and broke the peace. Another phase began, the nerves appeared, and with them the falls. Alpecin accelerated and the main group and the gap between the breakaway was immediately reduced to just 1.22 minutes with 53 km to go.
The battle continued in the Molenberg (0.4 km at 7.2 with a ramp of 14), where the Belgian Vermeersch (UAE) attacked by surprise. Van der Poel responded after avoiding a fall from Trentin and both of them, together with Van Dijke, finished off the breakaway with 42 to go.
Van der Poel unleashes the storm in Leberg and sentences in Kapelmuur
The Omloop was broken with the presence of Van der Poel in the lead and with the peloton more than 1 minute 35 minutes from the finish line. The king of cyclocross took the reins of the group, imposing a frenetic pace. He wanted command of the operations and acted as leader in the succession of cobblestone heights. Only Vermeersch took over to take over, the rest of the front sextet, taking cover.
Within the last 17 km there were two key scenarios remaining. In the first of them, in the Kepelmuur (1.1 km at 7.3), Van der Poel spread his wings to start a solo exhibition as in the countless ones he starred in during the cyclocross season. Monologue with a display of incontestable strength.
He passed the Bosberg, the last difficulty, with half a minute ahead of Van Dijke and Vermeesch. Solo show until the finish line, true to his style, marking a territory at the first opportunity in the spring classics. A first warning while waiting for those appointments in which he can measure his strength with the Slovenian Tadej Pogacar, the only one who can stop the Dutch phenomenon.
That duel will be one of the great attractions of the incipient season. When they coincide it will be the mother of all battles. Cycling is eagerly awaiting you.
Van der Poel succeeds the Norwegian Søren Wærenskjold in the Omloop record, winner in 2025.
