Mathieu van der Poel is back in action at the Baal cyclocross race

Another victory for Mathieu van der Poel in the GP Sven Nys, which kicked off the year 2026 in the Belgian town of Baal. A triumph that he had to work harder for than expected, thanks to the fantastic legs of Emiel Vestrynge, who managed to stay on Van der Poel's wheel when it seemed that the race was going to be another exhibition.

Mathieu van der Poel also shines in the Trophy X2O race in Baal

Mathieu van der Poel had to suffer more than expected in the GP Sven Nys in Baal. After a quick start where a second-line cyclist, Wout Janssen, tried to surprise and at least go home with a good photo in front of the best in the world, Thibau Nys initially tried to set the pace with all the favorites grouped together.

We would have to wait until the second lap to see Van der Poel take the lead, just as Thibau Nys had fallen a bit behind. The Dutchman opened the throttle and began to create a gap that, under normal conditions, would have been definitive.

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However, Van der Poel did not count on an unexpected Emiel Vestrynge coming from behind, completing a fantastic lap. The Alpecin-Premier Tech rider could hardly believe it when he looked back and found Vestrynge on his wheel. In fact, he tried to shake him off a couple of times with his typical bursts out of the corners and that relentless pace that forces his rivals to make mistakes, but this time it would be Van der Poel himself who, on a straight stretch with no apparent difficulty, hit a rut with his front wheel and fell, losing the lead but not Vestrynge's wheel.

After regaining the lead on the fifth lap, Mathieu van der Poel decided it was time to stop speculating, and on the steepest part of the circuit, he revved up the engine, now definitively, and easily pulled away from Emiel Vestrynge, who, despite his efforts, did not deflate and continued to fight for a commendable second position that certifies him as the best of the rest.

For his part, Thibau Nys, who had been engaged in a close battle for the remaining podium spot with Joris Nieuwenhuis, Toon Aerts, and Jente Michels, made his move on the sixth lap of the course, managing to open a few seconds that allowed him to reach the podium.

Regarding the overall battle for the Trophy X2O, Nieuwenhuis, the leader of the competition, took advantage of the absence of Niels Vandeputte and, on the other hand, Cameron Mason's bad day, who, despite starting at the front, quickly deflated and ended up losing time that leaves the overall standings looking very favorable for Felipe Orts' teammate.

Trophy X2O Classification – GP Sven Nys-Baal

1. Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Premier Tech) 59'04''
2. Emiel Vestrynge (Corendon-Crelan) +37''
3. Thibau Nys (Baloise Verzekeringen-Het Postbureau Lions) +1'16''
4. Toon Aerts (Charles Liegeois-Deschacht) +1'24''
5. Joris Nieuwenhuis (Ridley) +1'26''
6. Jente Michels (Alpecin-Premier Tech) +1'59''
7. Filippo Fontana (CS Carabinieri) +2'27''
8. Ryan Kamp (Alpecin Deceuninck Development Team) +2'38''
9. David Menut (Cross Team Legendre) +2'46''
10. Quinten Hermans (Pinarello-Q36.5) +3'03''