Van der Poel wins and gives a cyclocross lesson in the dunes of Koksijde

Mathieu van der Poel once again imposed his rule in the dunes of Koksijde. The Dutchman took the race with absolute authority, signing a new solo victory in one of the toughest circuits on the calendar.

Van der Poel reigns again in the dunes: authoritative victory in the Koksijde World Cup 2025

The Koksijde Cyclocross World Cup once again confirmed in 2025 why it is one of the most feared events on the calendar. The Belgian circuit featured slight changes to the layout, especially in the starting area, and although many riders agreed that the course had become even tougher, the elite men's race started with a clean start, where the strongest took command from the very first meters.

The first leader was the Dutch champion Tibor del Grosso, who led the initial passage through the finish line closely followed by his teammate and world champion Mathieu van der Poel. In that leading group were also the European champion Toon Aerts, Laurens Sweeck, and Niels Vandeputte.

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After a first lap without clear attacks, Van der Poel chose the start of lap 2 to launch a devastating change of pace that allowed him to open the first meters of advantage. This coincided with the arrival of a light rain, a factor that added even more toughness to a circuit already extremely demanding due to the deep sand of the dunes.

As had happened the previous day, Laurens Sweeck was the only one able to react quickly. His effort paid off at the start of lap 3 when he managed to catch up to Van der Poel and regroup five riders at the front: Del Grosso, Aerts, Sweeck, Vandeputte, and Van der Poel himself.

The race was scheduled for 7 laps, and the wear and tear began to take its toll. During that third lap, Van der Poel opted to wait and read the race, while the group remained compact. The situation changed when Toon Aerts suffered a small fall in a dune, losing contact, and shortly after, Sweeck began to struggle with the high pace, also falling behind.

With the three Alpecin-Deceuninck riders at the front, Van der Poel, Del Grosso, and Vandeputte, the world champion once again imposed his rule. In the very tough sandy climbs, where many were forced to lean on the barriers to avoid getting off their bikes, Van der Poel displayed a superiority of power and technique, advancing with a fluidity uncharacteristic of such soft terrain, almost as if he were riding on asphalt.

With two laps to go, Van der Poel was already offering a true lesson in cyclocross in the dunes of Koksijde, extending his lead to nearly half a minute. Behind him, the chasing group consisted of Tibor del Grosso, Laurens Sweeck, and Niels Vandeputte, while Toon Aerts rode in fifth position, somewhat more detached.

The script did not change until the finish, and Mathieu van der Poel won again with absolute ease, while the rest of the podium was decided in the final part of the last lap, with Laurens Sweeck second and Tibor del Grosso third, confirming the high level shown throughout the race.

From a Spanish perspective, Felipe Orts experienced a more complicated race than the day before. An unfavorable start affected his performance and forced him to ride in the back positions, moving around the 22nd position for much of the race.