Van der Poel reigns supreme in old-school mud cyclo-cross, achieving a perfect 6 win sweep in Loenhout

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.