According to Wuyts, there’s no one better than Van der Poel: "If you doubt it, take off your blindfold"

After nearly a week of Mathieu van der Poel's return to cyclo-cross, it can safely be said that the multiple world champion is head and shoulders above the rest. On Friday, he claimed his fourth consecutive win. Cycling analyst Michel Wuyts marveled at his dominance, calling him the most complete cyclo-cross rider ever in his column for Het Laatste Nieuws.

Van der Poel’s return to cyclo-cross has been a rude awakening for his competitors. In less than a week, the world champion has won four races with remarkable ease. While he launched a masterclass just a minute into the Zonhoven race, in the races that followed, he managed his energy more efficiently. Van der Poel picked his moments, and the races quickly fell decisively in his favor.

Like many others, Wuyts watched in awe, particularly at Van der Poel’s performance in Zonhoven. "I saw Van der Poel in Zonhoven and realized: experiencing the highest perfection must also be pure joy for him. The difference compared to the helplessness of chaser Aerts (Toon, ed.) was striking. After a minute and a half of racing, he must have realized that staying in the wheel was practically suicidal," Wuyts described the despair of the competition. "Toon’s head, already tearful in Namur, dropped again. As if to say: it won’t be my time in the coming weeks either. Painful, when the Dutch destroyer once again crushes your dreams."

For Wuyts, it’s now clear that Van der Poel is the best cyclo-cross rider ever. The number of world titles doesn’t matter, according to the Belgian. “Supremacy in body and mind cannot be contained. Van der Poel has been the world’s best cyclo-cross rider for years, just as he’s been the world’s most versatile cyclist for years,” Wuyts stated. “There’s no denying it: Van der Poel doesn’t need a seventh world title to be called the greatest cyclo-cross rider of all time. More powerful than Liboton, more composed than Nys, more acrobatic than De Vlaeminck. If you doubt it, take off your blindfold. That seventh title will come. The eighth too,” Wuyts concluded his praise.

According to Wuyts, Van der Poel is not only a master in cyclo-cross but also in theatrics. "Van der Poel is often taken off-screen by the TV director after two laps. A bit pitiful, but the director prefers to focus on the battle for second place. Van der Poel knows very well that he needs to serve his sponsors. And how to get on-screen. So, he holds back a bit, like in Gavere. MVDP is a master at everything, including feigning suspense."

Can competitors find hope in Loenhout? "After that, he switched to cruise control"

In Loenhout, following Gavere, the gap between Van der Poel and second- and third-place finishers Thibau Nys and Laurens Sweeck was within twenty seconds. While Wuyts might explain this relatively small margin as "feigned suspense," Sporza journalist Ruben Van Gucht hopes it signals more competitive races in the future. "There was no overwhelming dominance. Sweeck (Laurens, ed.) came back, and the others weren’t completely dropped. Is he slightly off his game, was it the course, or the accumulation of races?" he wondered.

Former cyclo-cross rider and analyst Paul Herygers has a different perspective. He believes Van der Poel is simply conserving his energy. "In Zonhoven, he was probably a bit fired up and wanted to make a statement in the sand pit immediately. After that, he switched to cruise control." Ultimately, the World Championship is the only race that truly matters. "Van der Poel doesn’t mess around and doesn’t beat around the bush. They’ve learned from the last World Championship. Everyone is trying to peak at the right moment."

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