Mathieu van der Poel delivered a commanding performance and won the cyclo-cross World Cup race in Maasmechelen. Despite not being completely fresh after a training camp in Spain, the world champion was far too strong for the competition.
Wout van Aert, hampered by a series of mistakes, finished a distant second.
This was only the second duel between Van der Poel and Van Aert this winter — and also their last. Anticipation was high, but the Belgian faltered early in the race. He crashed after catching his bike on a post.
Meanwhile, Van der Poel, despite racing with a broken rib, faced no setbacks and stayed comfortably with the lead group. Joris Nieuwenhuis set the pace for the group, which also included World Cup leader Michael Vanthourenhout.
Read more below the video.
Wout van Aert moves to the front
….and then crashes down the bank 😱. #CXWorldCup #FLCS pic.twitter.com/B9SMtR2RnS
— UCI Cyclocross (@UCI_CX) January 25, 2025
Van Aert chases, but Van der Poel is untouchable
It was remarkable how quickly Van Aert climbed back to second place, but closing the gap to Van der Poel proved impossible. The 19-second gap ballooned to 40 seconds by the third lap, effectively ending the battle. With neither rider holding back in the muddy conditions, the gap grew to 50 seconds after five laps of the seven-lap race.
While the Belgian fought hard, it was clear that he had to concede to the ‘king’ of cyclo-cross. Van der Poel extended his lead to over a minute and a half in the final two laps. When all was said and done, he achieved yet another dominant victory — his sixth win in six cyclo-cross races this season.
🚵🇧🇪 | Tsja, wie anders? Mathieu van der Poel is op geen foutje te betrappen en wint met ruime marge in Maasmechelen 👏👏
📺 Stream veldrijden op HBO Max pic.twitter.com/ONQn0aq84K
— Eurosport Nederland (@Eurosport_NL) January 25, 2025
Van Aert, wrapping up his winter campaign, finished in second place. He will not race in Hoogerheide or at the World Championships in Liévin. Joris Nieuwenhuis completed the podium with an impressive third-place finish.
