Van der Poel survives two punctures and wins the Cyclocross World Cup in Maasmechelen

Mathieu van der Poel took the victory in the Cyclocross World Cup in Maasmechelen after a race that, on paper, was supposed to help him conserve energy before the grueling end of the calendar tomorrow in Hoogerheide, but ended up becoming one of his most complicated tests of the winter.

Van der Poel comes back like never before and wins as always

The start was marked by a strong crash on the asphalt that took several riders out of the race, although Van der Poel avoided problems and was already in the lead on the first lap alongside Cameron Mason and Tibor Del Grosso. After the first lap, the Dutchman was riding in second place, with Felipe Orts somewhat behind in around ninth place.

In the second and third laps, Van der Poel began to increase the pace. First, he neutralized Mason and then launched an acceleration that left Del Grosso as his only companion. Behind, Thibau Nys and Niels Vandeputte were trying to close the gap, while Orts was maintaining his position around the top 10 without losing contact.

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The first major plot twist came in the fourth lap. When Van der Poel was leading comfortably, he suffered a flat tire on the front wheel, far from the pit area. The Dutchman was forced to complete a good part of the circuit losing positions and falling to around 20 seconds behind. Del Grosso inherited the lead, with Nys and Vandeputte hot on his heels.

In the fifth lap, after changing bikes, Van der Poel started a stunning comeback. In just one lap, he went from being outside the podium to rejoining the leading group. On one of the toughest climbs of the circuit, he even had to put a foot down, but still managed to close the gap and re-enter the fight for victory. In that same stretch, Orts began to gain positions and was already in sixth place.

The sixth and seventh laps showed the most recognizable Van der Poel. Once in front, he tightened the race again with changes of pace that were selecting the group. After taking advantage of a mistake by Nys on a climb, he opened a gap of nearly 15 seconds. Orts, now in fifth, was just a few seconds behind the group fighting for the podium.

When it seemed that the race was settled, a new scare came in the eighth lap. Van der Poel suffered a second flat tire, this time on the rear wheel, which allowed Nys, Del Grosso, and Vandeputte to catch up to him. Again, the Dutchman resolved the situation with a very quick bike change and an immediate attack that gave him a small advantage before entering the final lap.

In the ninth and final lap, Van der Poel managed his effort without errors and slightly increased his lead until he crossed the finish line alone. Behind, the fight for the podium remained open until the end, while Orts managed to ride just a few seconds behind third place, confirming his progress after a complicated first half of the race.

Orts, from less to more

Felipe Orts' performance was once again one of the highlights of the day. After being relegated in the early laps, the Spaniard steadily climbed from his initial ninth place to fighting in the final lap for a spot on the podium, in a new demonstration of consistency in the decisive stretch of the World Cup.

Top 10 – Cyclocross World Cup in Maasmechelen 

1. Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin–Premier Tech) 1:03:52
2. Tibor Del Grosso (Alpecin–Premier Tech) +3 s
3. Niels Vandeputte (Alpecin–Premier Tech Development Team) +4 s
4. Thibau Nys (Baloise Verzekeringen – Het Poetsbureau Lions) +6 s
5. Felipe Orts Lloret (Ridley Racing Team) +24 s
6. Gerben Kuypers (Pauwels Sauzen – Altez Industriebouw) +43 s
7. Kevin Kuhn (Heizomat – Cube) +46 s
8. Toon Vandebosch (Crelan–Corendon) +54 s
9. Mees Hendrikx (Heizomat – Cube) +54 s
10. Cameron Mason (Seven Racing) +55 s.