This is the Dutchman's eighth career rainbow jersey, a historic achievement that makes him the most successful cyclo-cross rider of all time, surpassing Eric De Vlaeminck. He joined Tibor del Grosso and Thibau Nys on the podium. Filippo Fontana also put in an excellent performance, finishing fifth.
Once again, van der Poel left no room for his rivals. Yet another success is worth more than just a win: it's probably one of the most significant moments of his career. With this title, he definitively enters the legend of cyclocross, becoming the absolute benchmark in the discipline. This record comes just a week after he set a record for World Cup victories, with 51 stage wins.
Record after record for VDP, who has found the best way to say goodbye to cyclocross: starting next season, in fact, he will focus exclusively on road cycling and mountain biking.
From a race perspective, there's little to argue about. Van der Poel takes the lead in the second lap, taking advantage of the dirt wall to drop Thibau Nys. The Belgian is then overtaken by Tibor del Grosso, who, after winning gold in the mixed relay, takes silver in the elite event. The Dutchman confirms himself as one of the most exciting emerging talents, tipped by many as a potential successor to van der Poel.
Nys had to settle for bronze, a prestigious result nonetheless. With victories also achieved in the junior and Under-23 categories, the Netherlands dominates the medal table, finishing the World Championships with five golds and nine medals overall.
As for Italy, after the disappointment of Grigolini missing out on silver, Filippo Fontana's fifth-place finish was gratifying. Fontana came very close to fourth place, but was pipped by Nieuwenhuis right at the finish line. The Italian team finished with two medals: a haul below expectations, also affected by bad luck, falls, and disqualifications.
Order of arrival – Hulst
- Mathieu van der Poel – 1h00'25''
- Tibor del Grosso – +35''
- Thibau Nys – +46''
- Joris Nieuwenhuis – +55''
- Filippo Fontana – +55''
- Gerben Kuypers – +58''
- Felipe Orts Lloret – +1'04''
- Toon Aerts – +1'04''
- Jente Michels – +1'04''
- Michael Vanthourenhout – +1'35''
The news
Thibau Nys got off to a flying start, immediately trying to put pressure on van der Poel. The Dutchman, however, quickly found space behind his teammate Tibor del Grosso, using a pattern he'd tried several times in previous races.
Van der Haar and Toon Aerts initially remained with them, but a technical error by the Baloise rider created the first gap. A trio thus formed at the front, while behind them there were plenty of crashes, including that of Ronhaar.
After the first lap, van der Poel, del Grosso, and Nys lead the race, followed by a group including Aerts, van der Haar, and Vanthourenhout. Filippo Fontana remains a consistent presence in the top ten.
In the second lap, VDP gradually increased his pace. Nys tried to stay in his slipstream, but on the dirt wall, the world champion made the decisive move. The lead wasn't immediately huge, but it remained steady and sufficient to control the race.
At that point, Nys focused on battling for silver with del Grosso, while behind them the group was reorganizing, vying for fourth place. Fontana joined the battle, even attempting a few accelerations.
In the final laps, van der Poel rode alone, making very few mistakes. Behind him, del Grosso and Nys marked each other, engaging in a tactical duel. On the decisive wall, however, the Dutchman found the perfect opportunity to finally break away from the Belgian.
Van der Poel crossed the finish line alone with a 35-second lead, securing his eighth world title. Del Grosso was second, Nys third. Nieuwenhuis followed closely behind, overtaking Fontana in the final meters, relegating the Italian to fifth place.
