Van der Poel dominates despite broken rib, while Van Aert's mistakes ruin final duel

Mathieu van der Poel delivered a commanding performance and won the cyclo-cross World Cup race in Maasmechelen. Despite not being completely fresh after a training camp in Spain, the world champion was far too strong for the competition. Wout van Aert, hampered by a series of mistakes, finished a distant second.

This was only the second duel between Van der Poel and Van Aert this winter — and also their last. Anticipation was high, but the Belgian faltered early in the race. He crashed after catching his bike on a post.

Meanwhile, Van der Poel, despite racing with a broken rib, faced no setbacks and stayed comfortably with the lead group. Joris Nieuwenhuis set the pace for the group, which also included World Cup leader Michael Vanthourenhout.

Read more below the video.

Van Aert falls again, Van der Poel takes off

In the second lap, Van Aert managed to rejoin the group with Van der Poel, Nieuwenhuis, and Vanthourenhout. On a technical section, the Visma star tried to push the pace with an aggressive move, but it came at a cost — he slipped in the inside corner and went down again, while the other three smoothly navigated around him.

Sensing the opportunity, Van der Poel launched an attack. While Van Aert straightened his handlebars, the rider in the rainbow jersey surged ahead. Nieuwenhuis and Vanthourenhout couldn’t keep up with his blistering pace. A five-lap solo? Van der Poel was all for it. Van Aert, despite showing great form, faced a 19-second deficit after his slip-ups.

Read more below the video.

Van Aert chases, but Van der Poel is untouchable

It was remarkable how quickly Van Aert climbed back to second place, but closing the gap to Van der Poel proved impossible. The 19-second gap ballooned to 40 seconds by the third lap, effectively ending the battle. With neither rider holding back in the muddy conditions, the gap grew to 50 seconds after five laps of the seven-lap race.

While the Belgian fought hard, it was clear that he had to concede to the 'king' of cyclo-cross. Van der Poel extended his lead to over a minute and a half in the final two laps. When all was said and done, he achieved yet another dominant victory — his sixth win in six cyclo-cross races this season.

Van Aert, wrapping up his winter campaign, finished in second place. He will not race in Hoogerheide or at the World Championships in Liévin. Joris Nieuwenhuis completed the podium with an impressive third-place finish.

Results 2025 World Cup Maasmechelen - elite men

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