Mathieu Van der Poel pastor Wout Van Aert in Maasmechelen

The Visma – Lease a bike rider seemed physically in good shape, but his technical shortcomings on this type of course penalized him and, before his fall, he had already clipped a post holding the protective nets. Mathieu Van der Poel, who did not need anyone to make his task easier, easily won his sixth cross-country victory of the season in as many races, the fourth in the World Cup.