After his victory at the Loenhout cross, Mathieu van der Poel shifted his focus to the World Cup race in Besançon. The race, held on French soil, requires quick travel arrangements, and the world champion opted for a private jet to save time. However, his journey encountered some complications.
"Oh, has that already leaked?" Van der Poel asked aloud when questioned about his mode of transport after the Azencross. Using a private jet would afford him an extra day of rest, a luxury he wouldn't have if he traveled by other means. His schedule had him departing from Deurne airport this morning, set to arrive in France at 9:25 AM. The cyclo-cross superstar was spotted at the Dutch airport before departure.
Flying in a Pilatus PC-12 NG, Van der Poel took off at 8:30 AM for France. However, the flight didn’t go entirely as planned: the jet was originally supposed to land at Besançon–La Vèze Aerodrome, but the landing location was changed at the last minute. Ultimately, the Alpecin-Deceuninck leader landed at Dole-Jura airport, approximately 50 kilometers from Besançon. This added travel time for the world champion, who has claimed victory in his last four races.
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HLN reported that heavy fog around the race venue forced the plane to divert to another airport. While Van der Poel now faces an additional 30 minutes of travel time, there doesn’t appear to be any cause for concern.
One thing is certain: fans won’t be seeing him arrive in his flashy Lamborghini this time. In previous races, Van der Poel regularly showed up in his Italian sports car, but a private jet is a pretty nice upgrade too.
