He’s back!
The winningest cyclocross racer of this millennium made his return to cyclocross today at the 2022 UCI Cyclocross World Cup in the Dutch city of Hulst.
Starting from the fourth row, Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) wasted no time in pushing his way through the field, and in half a lap, found himself at the front of the race. Could the Dutch superstar, who almost went undefeated in two cyclocross seasons, secure his first cyclocross win since early 2021?
Have a watch at his impressive first lap surge, marred a bit with a crash:
2022 UCI Cyclocross World Cup Hulst Elite Men First Lap Video:
Van der Poel’s remarkable start was not enough. He had several crashes and fell back as far as eighth on the second lap, but then turned in a blistering third lap to regain contact with the leaders, and then use the steep hills to ride away from his competition.
Current World Champ Tom Pidcock (INEOS Grenadiers), fresh off an X20 Badkammers win on Saturday, kept the former World Champ within his sights as the two entered the final lap, with a margin that hovered around a dozen seconds until he destroyed his rear wheel, JRA.
2022 UCI Cyclocross World Cup Hulst – Top Pidcock’s Wheel Problem and Crash Video:
Van der Poel was never threatened after Pidcock quit and left the course.
Watch the final two laps of the 2022 Hulst Cyclocross World Cup:
2022 UCI Cyclocross World Cup Hulst Elite Men Final Two Laps Video:
2022 UCI Cyclocross World Cup Hulst Elite Men Highlight Video:
Laurens Sweeck (Crelans Fristads) finished in second to claim the World Cup leader’s jersey, with a resurgent Eli Iserbyt (Pauwels Sauzen – Bingoal) completing the podium.
Full results are below.
2022 UCI Cyclocross World Cup Hulst Results: Elite Men
Pos | Nr | Name / UCI Cyclocross Team | NAT | Time | Gap |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 38 | VAN DER POEL Mathieu ALPECIN-DECEUNINCK | NED | 57:09:00 | - |
2 | 12 | SWEECK Laurens CRELAN - FRISTADS | BEL | 57:24:00 | +0:15 |
3 | 7 | ISERBYT Eli PAUWELS SAUZEN - BINGOAL | BEL | 57:31:00 | +0:22 |
4 | 37 | VAN DER HAAR Lars BALOISE TREK LIONS | NED | 57:39:00 | +0:30 |
5 | 34 | NIEUWENHUIS Joris BALOISE TREK LIONS | NED | 57:58:00 | +0:49 |
6 | 15 | VANTHOURENHOUT Michael PAUWELS SAUZEN - BINGOAL | BEL | 58:40:00 | +1:31 |
7 | 48 | ORTS LLORET Felipe BURGOS-BH | ESP | 58:53:00 | +1:44 |
8 | 4 | ADAMS Jens BELGIUM | BEL | 58:59:00 | +1:50 |
9 | 13 | VANDEBOSCH Toon ALPECIN-DECEUNINCK | BEL | 59:20:00 | +2:11 |
10 | 44 | KUHN Kevin TORMANS CYCLO CROSS TEAM | SUI | 59:27:00 | +2:18 |
11 | 14 | VANDEPUTTE Niels ALPECIN-DECEUNINCK | BEL | 59:37:00 | +2:28 |
12 | 16 | VERSTRYNGE Emiel CRELAN - FRISTADS | BEL | 59:52:00 | +2:43 |
13 | 31 | HENDRIKX Mees CRELAN - FRISTADS | NED | 1:00:02 | +2:53 |
14 | 6 | BAESTAENS Vincent BELGIUM | BEL | 1:00:16 | +3:07 |
15 | 51 | BOROŠ Michael ELKOV - KASPER | CZE | 1:00:20 | +3:11 |
16 | 28 | DEL GROSSO Tibor METEC - SOLARWATT P/B MANTEL | NED | 1:00:25 | +3:16 |
17 | 10 | MEEUSSEN Witse PAUWELS SAUZEN - BINGOAL | BEL | 1:00:32 | +3:23 |
18 | 39 | VAN KESSEL Corne TORMANS CYCLO CROSS TEAM | NED | 1:01:00 | +3:51 |
19 | 25 | MENUT David AS BIKE RACING | FRA | 1:01:08 | +3:59 |
20 | 49 | SUAREZ FERNANDEZ Kevin NESTA - MMR CX TEAM | ESP | 1:01:32 | +4:23 |
21 | 45 | RÜEGG Timon CROSS TEAM LEGENDRE | SUI | 1:01:34 | +4:25 |
22 | 29 | GODRIE Stan NETHERLANDS | NED | 1:01:44 | +4:35 |
23 | 11 | SOETE Daan DESCHACHT-HENS-MAES | BEL | 1:01:50 | +4:41 |
24 | 5 | AERTS Thijs BALOISE TREK LIONS | BEL | 1:02:02 | +4:53 |
25 | 9 | LOOCKX Lander DESCHACHT-HENS-MAES | BEL | 1:02:06 | +4:57 |
26 | 59 | MEISEN Marcel GERMANY | GER | 1:02:07 | +4:58 |
27 | 20 | CRISPIN Mickaël CROSS TEAM LEGENDRE | FRA | 1:02:15 | +5:06 |
28 | 17 | BOMMENEL Nathan AS BIKE RACING | FRA | 1:02:20 | +5:11 |
29 | 18 | CASTILLE Noé CROSS TEAM LEGENDRE | FRA | 1:02:23 | +5:14 |
30 | 41 | VERBURG Luke ABLOC CT | NED | 1:02:46 | +5:37 |
31 | 40 | VAN LIEROP Danny NETHERLANDS | NED | 1:02:57 | +5:48 |
32 | 27 | THOMAS Théo SEBMOTOBIKES CX TEAM | FRA | 1:03:18 | +6:09 |
33 | 61 | BERTOLINI Gioele SELLE ITALIA - GUERCIOTTI - ELITE | ITA | 1:03:42 | +6:33 |
34 | 21 | GILLES Cyprien FRANCE | FRA | 1:03:43 | +6:34 |
35 | 56 | VANÍCEK Šimon CZECH REPUBLIC | CZE | 1:04:32 | +7:23 |
36 | 19 | CHAMERAT DUMONT Antony FRANCE | FRA | 1:04:54 | +7:45 |
37 | 22 | GUILLAUD Valentin FRANCE | FRA | -1 LAP | |
38 | 24 | LEQUET Corentin AS BIKE RACING | FRA | -1 LAP | |
39 | 67 | HERRMANN Lukas HEIZOMAT RADTEAM P/B KLOSTER KITCHEN | GER | -1 LAP | |
40 | 30 | GROENENDAAL Bailey NETHERLANDS | NED | -2 LAP | |
41 | 55 | RÍMAN Jakub CZECH REPUBLIC | CZE | -2 LAP | |
42 | 52 | CERNÝ Patrik EXPRES CZ - TUFO TEAM KOLÍN | CZE | -2 LAP | |
43 | 58 | KUSCHLA Silas GERMANY | GER | -2 LAP | |
44 | 57 | HARTER Luca GERMANY | GER | -2 LAP | |
45 | 23 | LELANDAIS Rémi CROSS TEAM LEGENDRE | FRA | -2 LAP | |
46 | 46 | INGUANZO MACHO Gonzalo SPAIN | ESP | -3 LAP | |
47 | 50 | SUAREZ FERNANDEZ Alain NESTA - MMR CX TEAM | ESP | -3 LAP | |
48 | 54 | HULA Robert EXPRES CZ - TUFO TEAM KOLÍN | CZE | -3 LAP | |
49 | 36 | UPTEGROVE Pete NETHERLANDS | NED | -3 LAP | |
50 | 47 | JUNQUERA SAN MILLAN Mario UNICAJA BANCO - GIJON | ESP | -3 LAP | |
51 | 60 | BALDESTEIN Raul CYCLING CAFE' RACING TEAM | ITA | -3 LAP | |
52 | 66 | JØRGENSEN Mikkel DENMARK | DEN | -4 LAP | |
53 | 63 | MANCINELLI Philippe CYCLING CAFE' RACING TEAM | ITA | -4 LAP | |
54 | 62 | GILIOLI Samuele Silla ITALY | ITA | -4 LAP | |
55 | 65 | TURSI Loris ITALY | ITA | -5 LAP | |
1 | PIDCOCK Thomas INEOS GRENADIERS | GBR | DNF | ||
32 | KAMP Ryan PAUWELS SAUZEN - BINGOAL | NED | DNF | ||
35 | RONHAAR Pim BALOISE TREK LIONS | NED | DNF | ||
33 | KARS Hugo NETHERLANDS | NED | DNF | ||
3 | YOUNG Jenson SAINT PIRAN | GBR | DNF | ||
53 | FIALA Matyáš CZECH REPUBLIC | CZE | DNF |