There was little doubt about the winner of the Cyclo-cross Worlds and Mathieu Van der Poel quickly swept away any suspense. The Dutchman crushed the race with all his power to claim an eighth world title, his seventh in a row.
A major performance, which places him alone in the history of his sport, ahead of the seven titles of Éric De Vlaeminck. And given the demonstration offered this Sunday, it is difficult to see who could stand in the way of Van der Poel, only 31 years old.
The Dutchman made the difference in the first round, isolating himself alongside Tibor Del Grosso and Thibau Nys. The trio was already 18 seconds ahead of the rest of the field after just four minutes of racing, a gap that only increased as the minutes passed.
And on the next lap, 11 minutes into the race, Van der Poel took off and released his two fleeting companions. 10 seconds recovered on an acceleration and a gap already impossible to make up for the pursuers.
Definitely above, the double stage winner on the Tour de France widened the gap over the laps, to have more than a minute ahead of his runners-up. And calmly manage his last lap, appreciated to the cheers of the Dutch public. Del Grosso and Nys complete the podium, more than 35 seconds behind.
