In the absence of the stars of the undergrowth, Mathieu Van der Poel, who is waiting until the end of the month to make his big comeback on the 23rd in Antwerp, and Wout Van Aert, who made a first victorious appearance this Saturday, Joris Nieuwenhuis of the Baloise-Trek Lions team went for a walk during the 7th round of the World Cup. Never before had he ever given the impression of such ease.
From the first round, the Dutchman broke away on a snowy course to win his fourth victory of the season, the first in a World Cup. Moreover, he had never been on the slightest podium in a round of the premier event of the discipline. His main rivals all finished more than a minute behind.
However, he is not unknown, having recently won two rounds of the Superprestige at Merksplas and Boom, but without having dominated the competition as in the snow of Val di Sole.
“My younger experience in BMX helped me”
“It wasn’t as easy as it looked,” he said after the finish. It was exhausting because, on such a snowy course, you have to be concentrated until the end. My plan was to take the first corner first. This is what makes the difference on this course, you can then follow your own trajectory more easily. My younger experience in BMX helped me. This victory confirms my choices lately. »
Hopeful world champion of the discipline in 2017, he had recently refocused on a road career under the colors of the DSM team (he raced the Tour de France in 2020 and 2021), before accepting the Last year the offer from the Baloise-Trek Lions team, led by former cyclo-cross star Sven Nys. Who has already pointed out that, in such conditions, during the next World Championship in Tabor at the beginning of February, his colt would have a good card to play.
Among the women, the Dutch Manon Bakker also won the World Cup for the first time, at the age of 24. The rider from the Corelan-Corendon team carried out a real chase behind the favorite Ceylin Alvarado before overtaking her on the last lap.
