There were World Champions who paraded on the Besançon course, during the World Cup round which took place this Sunday, at Malcombe. But inevitably, there was one that was more anticipated than the others. Coming two years ago already, and winner, Mathieu Van der Poel returned to Doubs and with a similar result (see ranking). And the least we can say is that the crowd was there to see the Dutchman up close, braving the sometimes negative temperatures, the fog and the thaw. “We had discussed the program from the start of the cyclo-cross, I wanted to come here because it's still good that we have a World Cup in France. I came two years ago, we see anyway the public likes cross country so I'm happy to have come”he rejoices in a post-race interview.
“PEOPLE HERE COME TO WATCH CYCLO-CROSS”
The children were also very happy to come and gather against the barriers, pen and support in hand, sometimes a program of the event, of which he was holding the poster, sometimes a notebook, or even jerseys. Some have even defied the prohibitions by entering the sector of trucks reserved for accredited people. While the Alpecin-Deceuninck rider was changing while waiting for the protocol, only one first name resonated in the mouths of the fans, that of “Mathieu”. “I am always supported in France, but there are not many cyclo-cross events. We must contribute to this for the future”he believes. The children are also rewarded for their wait with an impromptu autograph session at the foot of the stairs of a truck. Some even have the microphone extended to the local press and spy on the results of their idol, World Champion jersey in hand.
But during the race, it's not the jerseys and notebooks that are hung above the safety barriers. Even if the crowd hides the passage of the World Champion, the one who made the difference after a lap and a half is easy to follow with your eyes when a sea of cell phones rises and falls to the rhythm of his pedal strokes. Because if the spectators were numerous (around 10,000), few of them could boast of having seen Mathieu Van der Poel with their eyes, and not through their screen. The person concerned still enjoyed his day. “The crowd is enthusiastic, not just for the first ones. That's how it should be. It made me think about mountain biking, so that was cool. People here come to watch cross country, they are supporters “In Belgium I sometimes have the impression that they come more to party than to see us race.”jokes the winner of the day.
“CROSS IS LESS AND LESS IMPORTANT”
The evidence of seeing Mathieu Van der Poel prance alone in the lead for a good part of the race would almost make us forget that the start of the race did not necessarily go in the best possible way. “I was a little stuck, I was on the second row, you have to follow the guys. But after the first lap I was in front so there were no worries”. Enough to allow yourself a little figure of speech in a jump which delighted the spectators, despite a course which resembled an improvised ice rink. “It was really difficult, sometimes we had the feeling that we were flying on the snow, it was very slippery. Two years ago it was very fast, now it was the opposite. I felt I had a lot of fun, it was very hard and very technical, I like it. It's difficult to compare to a course in Belgium, especially with these conditions. But it's good to have a round like that in the Cup. of the World”.
Pleasure, Mathieu Van der Poel really needs it to stay fully motivated in winter to take the start of numerous cyclo-cross events. Because he admits, the more time passes, the more the road occupies a large part of his mind. “Cross is less and less important, I always try to win, but if it hadn't been the case, no one would have said anything and that's no problem. The most important races important are on the road now, namely the Classics”. He will quickly return to France, in Liévin, to defend his tunic. “I’m not 100% yet, I’m going to improve further for the World Championships”. Before perhaps returning to France in the coming years for other World Cup rounds. With, to be sure, a fervor at least identical to that of Besançon.
