Van Aert goes on the hunt, but Van der Poel remains unreachable and wins again at the Plage Cross in Hofstade

The return of the Hofstade Plage Cross to the calendar was a total success, both on and off the circuit. Thousands of fans packed the track and accompanied an elite men's race marked by intensity, deep sand... and the dominance of Mathieu van der Poel.

Van der Poel dominates in the sand of Hofstade and asserts his authority against Van Aert and Nys

After victories in Namur, Antwerp, and Koksijde, Hofstade marked his fourth consecutive appearance, and the Dutchman responded with another performance of enormous level, especially in the toughest sandy sections.

From the start, the big names did not disappoint. Wout van Aert and Van der Poel quickly positioned themselves at the front, while Thibau Nys also stayed well placed, ready to take advantage of his knowledge of the terrain.

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During the first lap, riders like Joris Nieuwenhuis and Laurens Sweeck took the lead, with Van der Poel riding in a conservative position but clearly on the lookout. It only took a first foray into the soft sand for the race to start taking shape when the Dutchman moved from fourth to second in just a few meters, making his intentions clear.

In the second lap, the first plot twist occurred when Van Aert fell after slipping in a technical area next to a tree. The Belgian lost time and had to start a demanding chase, while Van der Poel took the lead and began to harden the race.

As the laps went by, the Dutchman's power made a difference. Riding at an average of 26.5 km/h, Van der Poel delivered a true masterclass in the sand. Nys, who had initially held on, began to make mistakes in the sandy terrain.

While Van der Poel managed his lead, with the crowd fully engaged and even some isolated incidents of bad behavior from the stands when he was "spat" on by a cloud of smoke from a vape, Van Aert was closing in and settling into second place, although without any real chance of catching the leader.

With the race completely under control, Mathieu van der Poel faced the final lap with more than forty seconds of margin over Wout van Aert. The world champion continued to ride smoothly, in an image that reflected the respect his current dominance generates.

Behind, Van Aert definitively consolidated second place, crossing the finish line 48 seconds after a race that started slow but was marked by a solid comeback despite the initial fall.

All the excitement concentrated on the battle for third place, with up to five riders involved in the final laps: Thibau Nys, Laurens Sweeck, Niels Vandeputte, Toon Aerts, and Mason. Nys struggled again in the deep sand, but still showed character and managed to position himself for a podium spot after a brilliant technical move.

However, in the final stretch, Niels Vandeputte once again demonstrated his speed and won the decisive sprint, repeating victory in the direct duel for the third step of the podium. Nys had to settle for fourth place after another combative performance in a terrain that penalized him again.

Up front, Van der Poel closed his performance with another solo exhibition to mark 4 out of 4 since his return to cyclocross, confirming that, in the sand, he remains the great reference of the winter.

Top 5 X2O Trofee Hofstade Plage Cross

1. Mathieu Van der Poel
2. Wout Van Aert + 48”
3. Niels Vandeputte + 1’02”
4. Thibau Nys + 1’03”
5. Laurens Sweeck + 1’05”