Mathieu van der Poel (Corendon-Circus) bounced back from an off day at Saturday's Hotondcross to win Vlaamse Druivencross held in Overijse on Sunday. The world champion rode away with the victory ahead of Tom Pidcock (Trinity Racing) and Quinten Hermans (Telenet-Baloise).
The race started with Pidcock and Eli Iserbyt (Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal) taking the early lead. At the start of the second lap a stray dog ventured on course and was seen running along the finish-line straightaway as the riders raced through to start the second lap.
Van der Poel found his form and settled into a good rhythm during the third lap where he caught and passed the lead riders; Pidcock, Iserbyt and Hermans, and opened a gap on his rivals.
He extended his lead to 14 seconds on Pidcock and 25 seconds on Hermans. The previous day's Hotondcross winner Toon Aerts (Telenet-Baloise) finished fourth.
Van der Poel has won in Overijse on three other occasions in 2015, 2016 and 2017. He went into this edition as an unknown having lost Hotondcross on Saturday by more than two minutes behind Belgian champion Aerts.
That loss ended his 35-race winning streak that began Koppenbergcross in 2018.
After winning nine races this season, he took time away from cyclo-cross in December to train for two weeks in Spain. The training camp was to prepare for the upcoming road season.
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He said the transition back to cyclo-cross racing at Hotondcross in Ronse was a challenge but that he hoped to show better form at Sunday's race in Overijse.
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Results
Pos.
Rider Name (Country) Team
Result
1
Mathieu Van Der Poel (Ned) Corendon - Circus
1:00:54
2
Thomas Pidcock (GBr) Trinity Racing
0:00:14
3
Quinten Hermans (Bel) Telenet Baloise Lions
0:00:27
4
Toon Aerts (Bel) Telenet Baloise Lions
0:01:10
5
Tim Merlier (Bel) Creafin – Fristads
0:01:43
6
Eli Iserbyt (Bel) Pauwels Sauzen – Bingoal
0:02:14
7
Wietse Bosmans (Bel)
0:02:36
8
Daan Soete (Bel) Pauwels Sauzen – Bingoal
0:02:55
9
Marcel Meisen (Ger) Corendon - Circus
0:03:24
10
Tom Meeusen (Bel) Corendon - Circus
0:03:33
11
Thijs Aerts (Bel) Telenet Baloise Lions
0:04:24
12
Michael Vanthourenhout (Bel) Pauwels Sauzen – Bingoal
0:04:31
13
Ben Turner (GBr) Creafin – Fristads
0:04:33
14
Timo Kielich (Bel) Creafin – Fristads
0:04:39
15
Nicolas Cleppe (Bel) Telenet Baloise Lions
0:04:41
16
Cameron Mason (GBr) Trinity Racing
0:05:09
17
Sascha Weber (Ger)
0:05:31
18
Vincent Baestaens (Bel) Group Hens - Maes Containers
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