Aurélie Sacchelli, Media365, published on Wednesday January 1, 2025 at 11:51 a.m.
Injured in the ribs following a fall, Mathieu van der Poel will not take part in the Baal cyclo-cross event which he had planned to take part in on this first day of the year.
He won the first five cyclo-cross races in which he participated this winter, but Mathieu van der Poel will not achieve the pass of six. The world champion of the discipline is indeed injured in the ribs and must give up the Baal event, which he was to compete this Wednesday in Belgium. “Unfortunately, 2025 is not starting as we had hoped. World champion Mathieu van der Poel will not be competing in the X2O Trophee de Baal today. Mathieu suffers from significant pain in his ribs, a lingering effect of his fall in Loenhout where he hit a pole. The discomfort has worsened over the past few days, and after consulting with the medical team this morning, Mathieu made the difficult decision to withdraw from today's race. We will closely monitor his recovery to determine whether he will be able to participate in the Koksijde race the day after tomorrow,” his team Alpecin-Deceuninck said on social media.
The objective is Liévin
Winner of three Belgian races, including two counting for the World Cup, between December 22 and 26, the almost 30-year-old Dutchman managed to win in Loenhout despite his fall last Friday, then followed up on Sunday with a success during the World Cup in Besançon, without seeming bothered by his rib injury. But she woke up and here he is forfeited to Baal. If he recovers well, Mathieu van der Poel will be at the start of the race in Koksijde, Belgium, on Friday, then on Sunday in Dendermonde for a new World Cup stage, where he will notably be pitted against his rival Wout Van Aert. But his main objective for the cyclo-cross season will be to win a seventh world title, on February 2 in Liévin. “It's the only thing left for me to accomplish in cyclo-cross: this unique record of Erik De Vlaeminck (the Belgian crowned seven times between 1966 and 1973, editor's note). This aspiration was the driving force behind my commitment to this winter's cyclo-cross season, he declared when announcing his program. The world championship in Liévin is the only real objective, although I hope to fight for victory in all the other races in which I participate. For the moment, this is the case. Hoping this rib injury doesn't ruin everything.
