Van der Poel wins fourth consecutive World Cup round at Hoogerheide finale

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One week ahead of the Heusden-Zolder 2016 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships the reigning world champion Mathieu van der Poel (BKCP-Corendon) showed that he’s not planning to renounce his title. The 21-year-old Dutch rider captured his fourth consecutive World Cup victory at the season finale in Hoogerheide on Sunday afternoon, finishing nearly a minute ahead of his biggest rival Wout Van Aert (Crelan-Vastgoedservice Continental Team).

“It was a very difficult race today, very tough. I’m happy because like some other riders I did a very intensive training week. I’m satisfied with the recovery I did until now,” Van der Poel said in the post-race flash interview.

He didn’t like to be referred to as the only favourite for next week’s world championships race. “The only? I wouldn’t say that. This is something entirely different [compared to] next week. Next week is a course that suits me very well. I’m really happy because I had a hard training week. Next week I want to take some rest and then I want to go for the super-compensation to prolong my title. It’s good to go home this way. I’m a pleased man. I prefer to head home like this than after being distanced.”

The mudfest at the race organized by Mathieu’s father Adrie van der Poel in Hoogerheide seemed to favour Van Aert over Van der Poel. Also strong veterans like Sven Nys (Crelan-AA Drink) and Klaas Vantornout (Marlux-Napoleon Games) were expected to excel on this terrain. The outcome was somewhat different. For less than half a lap Van der Poel was biding his time behind a fast started Gianni Vermeersch (Marlux-Napoleon Games) and then he surged away. Van Aert seemed to struggle to find grip in Hoogerheide early on.

By the end of the opening lap he tried to set-up the chase on the world champion with Laurens Sweeck (ERA-Murprotec) and Kevin Pauwels (Marlux-Napoleon Games), trailing him by eight seconds. During the second of eight long laps Van der Poel kept extending his lead, even though Van Aert rode away from Pauwels and Sweeck. Briefly a big duel seemed to be coming up but Van der Poel quickly took away all hope for Van Aert.

Every lap he added about eight seconds to his advantage.

In the background, Tom Meeusen (Telenet-Fidea) bridged up with Sweeck and Pauwels. Toon Aerts (Telenet-Fidea) tried to do the same but he ended up riding in no man’s land until the end of the race, finishing sixth.

With the victory gone a race within the race was going on for the World Cup standings. Van Aert was leading comfortably but behind him Lars van der Haar (Giant-Alpecin), Kevin Pauwels and Sven Nys were battling for the remaining podium spots.

Van Aert was in control of the overall victory, riding well ahead of his last rival Van der Haar. Pauwels was distancing Nys for third place and maybe even threatening Van der Haar. Nys and Van der Haar were riding in a large group that battled for seventh place. Race leader Van der Poel secured his fifth place overall.

At the end of the fifth lap Nys surged forward but he was quickly halted in the deep mud on the talus, shortly before the finish. He went over the handlebars and from there he seemed to lose all aspirations for the World Cup podium, eventually finishing a distant 13th. European champion Van der Haar profited and accelerated away from the group, taking seventh place. Even though Pauwels rode away from Sweeck and Meeusen with three very fast laps, taking third place, it wasn’t enough to take over the second place overall from Van der Haar.

Sweeck briefly kept up with Pauwels and then rode alone for three laps, finishing fourth ahead of Meeusen. An emotional Toon Aert – he wasn’t selected for the world championships - finished sixth.

In the end nearly all riders held on to their World Cup spot.

Van Aert took second place and the overall World Cup victory. “I repeat what I’ve been saying for weeks: to me there’s only one top favourite for Zolder and that is Mathieu. Today everybody fell far too short on Mathieu, including me. I’m pleased the World Cup is in the pocket because when you start to calculate and take into account bad luck then there’s some stress. I’m pleased that Tim Merlier can come along to Zolder. It’s comforting to have a teammate along,” Van Aert told Telenet Play Sports.

The Belgian selection received an additional seventh spot because Van Aert won the World Cup.

Marcel Meisen was a surprising name in the top 10. The German rider finished ninth, clearly enjoying his ride in the Hoogerheide mud. Tim Merlier closed out the top 10 at more than three minutes from winner Van der Poel.
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