No one can beat Mathieu van der Poel: the Dutchman asserts his dominance in Antwerp in the first duel of the year with Van Aert

The Cyclocross World Cup in Antwerp has confirmed that Mathieu van der Poel remains a step ahead of everyone, even when his eternal rival Wout van Aert is in front of him. The first face-to-face of the season between the two did not disappoint in intensity, but it quickly made clear who had absolute control of the race.

Van der Poel asserts his dominance in Antwerp in the first duel of the year with Van Aert

Despite the organization modifying the starting area to avoid bottlenecks and falls, that first funnel again became one of the decisive points of the event. There were entanglements and touches that the big favorites managed to avoid, including Van Aert and Van der Poel, who started from the second and third rows. Thibau Nys, the overall leader, was not as fortunate, as he went from starting in the front row to being relegated beyond 15th place right from the start due to a problem that is yet to be clarified.

From the first turn, it was clear that neither Van Aert nor Van der Poel had come to speculate. Both used the initial lap to position themselves at the front and mark their territory. In that start, the role of the Spaniard Felipe Orts also stood out, very solid and consistent, riding at all times within the top 10 and about 20 seconds behind the race leaders on one of the most demanding circuits on the calendar.

In the first lap, it was even Van Aert who managed to ride ahead of Van der Poel, but the Dutchman quickly responded. By the second lap, he took command with authority, leading the race ahead of his compatriots Tibor del Grosso and Joris Nieuwenhuis, while a first chasing group formed about ten seconds back, with Van Aert holding on.

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The start of the third lap marked the definitive turning point. While Van der Poel was busy turning the fight for victory into a practically closed affair, pulling away solo with a 13-second lead, Van Aert produced one of the most celebrated moments by the local crowd, cutting the gap to just three seconds behind the duo formed by Nieuwenhuis and Del Grosso.

From there, the world champion opted for an intelligent management of effort. With a busy schedule of commitments in the coming days, Van der Poel increased his lead without wasting energy. Behind him, Van Aert lost a few seconds and a couple of positions after a bike change that did not seem to respond to any mechanical problem, leaving a completely Dutch virtual podium.

The script was shaken again before starting the fifth lap. Belgian Laurens Sweeck took advantage of a dip from Nieuwenhuis and Del Grosso to launch a powerful attack that allowed him to move into second place and slightly cut Van der Poel's lead, which remained at about 35 seconds. Van Aert also benefited from that move and managed to position himself third for a good part of the lap.

But Antwerp does not grant reprieves. In that same fifth lap, while Van der Poel continued to advance without errors, Van Aert suffered a flat tire that relegated him to ninth place. At the same time, Sweeck found himself forced to defend his second place after a chain drop in one of the most punishing sand sections of the circuit.

Amidst that controlled chaos, Felipe Orts continued to deliver one of his most complete performances of the winter, solidly within the top 10 in what, by level and names, was proving to be the most demanding race of the season to date.

If a week ago in Namur Van der Poel had to push himself to the limit, in Antwerp the feeling was very different. The Dutchman dominated from the first lap and turned the race into a true exercise in control. However, in the penultimate lap, there was a small scare when he heard the bell for the last lap with his lead reduced to almost half, going from about 40 seconds to just over 20.

Nothing to alter the outcome. Van der Poel managed the final meters coolly to cross the finish line in first position without spending an extra watt and secured his second victory of the season, making it clear that, at least for now, he remains the undisputed master of world cyclocross.