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Van der Poel reigns supreme in old-school mud cyclo-cross, achieving a perfect 6 win sweep in Loenhout
Cyclo-crossFriday, 29 December 2023 at 09:31
Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) brought out the sledgehammer again on Friday afternoon at the Azencross in Loenhout. The 28-year-old Dutchman escaped the chaotic start, bided his time, but then made the decisive move just before the halfway point. Gianni Vermeersch and Felipe Orts completed the podium as second and third, respectively.
Since his return to cyclo-cross, the Dutchman has been the absolute top performer this winter, but he didn't encounter his usual rivals in the Antwerp municipality. There was no Wout van Aert, no Tom Pidcock, no Eli Iserbyt and Michael Vanthourenhout, and no one from Baloise Trek Lions. Therefore, the competition likely would be coming from his own team, with Niels Vandeputte, Jente Michels and Vermeersch also at the start in the blue of Alpecin-Deceuninck. Sister teams Cyclocross Reds and Crelan-Corendon also pitched in with Cameron Mason and Toon Vandebosch for possible podium places in Loenhout, while Ryan Kamp (Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal) and Orts (Burgos-BH) aimed for a respectable place as well.
The Azencross, however, didn’t have the smoothest of starts. At around 4 PM, while world champion Van der Poel, Vandeputte, Orts, and French champion Clément Venturini made a solid start, it quickly turned into disarray after the first twenty riders. British cyclist Cameron Mason slipped out of his clip pedal and narrowly avoided a major crash behind him, inadvertently triggering a domino effect. The incident significantly affected Florian Vermeersch (Lotto Dstny), the 24-year-old Belgian, who was seen in pain, clutching his elbow. Despite this, the race continued, leaving Zdenek Stybar and the rest of the affected riders to embark on a challenging chase.
Due to the chaotic start, it was the Swiss Timon Rüegg who first saw his cycling jersey turn brown. Along with Orts, Van der Poel, Ryan Kamp, and Toon Vandenbosch, the leading riders came through, but the latter literally and figuratively fell out of contention. The 24-year-old Belgian made a steering error in the mud and ended up flat on his stomach in the many puddles.
Van der Poel charges before the halfway point
Gianni Vermeersch, who was also delayed by the crash, quickly rejoined and served as a super-domestique for the world champion. The former gravel world champion immediately took the lead and maintained a brisk pace in service of the Dutch cyclo-cross maestro. Unlike in previous races, Van der Poel initially let things unfold, leaving the initiative to his teammate.
After 26 minutes, the battle was finally over. The five-time world champion launched a swift attack, which was enough to shake off Orts and Kamp. In no time, Van der Poel had built up a lead of more than fifteen seconds. Kamp, eager to impress his new team (starting from January 1, 2024), kept up a tight pace with the tough Spaniard on his wheel, while Vermeersch bent but did not break.
The race for second Place: Orts, Kamp, and Vermeersch
Orts cleverly took advantage of Kamp's efforts to slip away. The gap with the chasing pair remained narrow, and Vermeersch managed to catch up to the lead of the Dutch rider from Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal. Kamp proved his resilience by catching up again, while Orts showed signs of strain and had expended too much energy to compete for second place. In a dramatic finish on the asphalt, Vermeersch launched into a long sprint with Kamp, who, like a dying swan, saw Orts pass him. Rüegg continued his good start to the finish line, placing fifth, with Lander Loockx from Tour de Tietema-Unibet finishing sixth.
Van der Poel scored six victories in six races in Loenhout. With wins in the X2O Badkamers Trophy in Herentals, the Zilvermeercross in Mol, the World Cups in Antwerp and Gavere, and the Superprestige in Diegem, the Dutchman continues his unbeaten streak in this cyclocross season. On the women's side, Sanne Cant clinched her first televised race victory in over two years.
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Latest Comments
- Van Aert is really handsome. He can influence me all day! Ditto for Philipsen. Why do you think many of us love cycling?: to see heroic attempts at climbing mountains at high altitudes or to watch speedsters sprint for the finish line or to watch a human being ride at break neck speed down a tricky descent? No, it's all about their lean physiques and muscular legs. (apologies for objectifying these dedicated and amazing athletes).BarwonHeadsUp25-10-2024
- It is unfortunate that the author can't feel the joy that Pogacar brings to the sport and his fans who are legion and I for one feel lucky to have watched such a memorable performance and historic season From the Strada until yesterday with multiple wins in stages in both tours and beyond dominance in the World's. He is proud to wear the Rainbow stripes, shows his leadership to protect his fellows and is as courteous and sportsman-like as the sport allows. He goes early to not have to respond to each attack as all the rest would make him do it. Any racer who could would do the same. Don't "grow tired" of greatness as it is always fleeting.ccrider13-10-2024
- What load of rubbish. Pog is likely a once in a generation cyclist, the like of which hasn't been seen since 'the Cannibal '. How many people were complaining that Merckx was making racing predictable? I remember this year's World RR as one of the most exciting I've watched. Mainly BECAUSE Pog was the favourite and launched what everyone thought (Pog included) was a suicidal attack with 80km to go. For the next 2 hours, I was on the edge of my seat thinking "this is too much, even for Pog". Maybe Zonnefeld prefers the snooze-fest that is a bunch sprint? Like most people I know, I can't watch two hours of the bunch riding very fast... I wait for the final 5km and watch just the sprint. In any event, most races are won from a sprint or lone break. What difference does it make who makes the lone break? Ultimately, the other contenders will have to figure out a way to beat Pog. Even if that means collaboration between teams. It's going to be an exciting few seasons, until the next Pog arrives on the scene. If this is boring, heaven knows what exciting looks like!Michael513-10-2024
- This is not a gravel race. UCI fail, from the surface they are on to team tactics. In what country was the first "gravel race" in what country is the most popular gravel race? Go with the race model that created the discipline.
Barnes127411-10-2024 - And don't forget he has now won 4 of the big 10 races (Grand tours, Monuments and WC/OG) in one year with a chance to make that 5. (5 has only been done once before)Joostmehrtens05-10-2024