Van der Poel wins the last round of the World Cup one week before the Worlds

Mathieu van der Poel won the 12th and final round of the World Cup at home on Sunday in Hoogerheide. He consolidates his status as favorite for the World Championships which will take place next week.

Mathieu van der Poel consolidated his status as the overwhelming favorite for the Cyclo-cross World Championships next weekend in Liévin by handily winning the 12th and final round of the World Cup at home on Sunday in Hoogerheide. On a circuit designed by his father Adrie, the Dutchman achieved a flawless performance with this seventh success this season in seven races. The day after his success in Maasmechelen in Belgium in front of the Belgian Wout Van Aert, absent on Sunday, the reigning world champion in the discipline was definitively reassured about his condition a month after being injured in an impact with a thin pole 2024 in Loenhout. Absent from the plowed for almost three weeks, the Alpecin team rider revealed on Saturday that he was suffering from a broken rib.

“I’m not 100% yet but my broken rib doesn’t hurt too much anymore”he declared before departure on Sunday. Even without being at its maximum potential, “MVDP” disgusted the competition. Leading from the first of seven laps, he won with 1 minute and 42 seconds ahead of Belgian Michael Vanthourenhout who consoled himself by winning the final World Cup ranking. Enough to make the trip to the North of France next Sunday with confidence at its peak. In Liévin, Van der Poel will try to equal the record for world titles (7) held by Belgian Eric De Vlaeminck before resuming his preparation for the road season.