Even though he did not win the big one, Mathieu van der Poel (Corendon-Circus) has won a lot of cyclocross races this season. He won the World Cup, DVV Trofee and Superprestige overall series and came into Sunday’s Vestingcross Hulst with 29 victories for the season.
Van der Poel Wins 30th
On Sunday, Van der Poel did what he has done best this season: win. He took top honors at Vestingcross Hulst in his home country to win his 30th race of the season. Laurens Sweeck (ERA-Circus) took second and Tom Meeusen (Corendon-Circus) third.
#30 it is! What a champ… 🔥 pic.twitter.com/bkBDZf51XO
— Corendon-Circus (@CorCirCX) February 18, 2018
Tobin Ortenblad (Santa Cruz / Donkey Label Racing) finished 29th, Eric Thompson (MSpeedwax.com) 36th and Tyler Cloutier (Matrix Cycling Club) 48th.
Van der Poel’s run of dominance has been mesmerizing and having a round number to attach to it helps tell the story of a season of greatness.
Some other metrics:
Of the 36 races Van der Poel has entered this year, he has won 30 of them.
His worst finish? Fourth.
The races he did not win? Ronse, Boom, Gavere, Zeven, Namur and Worlds.
Van der Poel’s crossresults.com page? He has no nemeses, he went 21-5 against Van Aert his season, holds a 24-1 record against Michael Vanthourenout, who beat him for second at Worlds and has 188 upgrade points in the last year. The only top European rider without a flaming couch from Van der Poel is Van Aert.
The all-time record? Van der Poel’s 30th ties him with Sven Nys, who won 30 races in the 2006/07 campaign and leaves him two behind Roland Liboton, who won 32 of 33 races during the 1983/84 season. With only one race left next Sunday in Oostmalle, Van der Poel’s third at Worlds acquires a little insult to go with the injury since even with a win, he will come up one short of Liboton’s record.
#huntfor30 😳 pic.twitter.com/lNBtkPE50C
— Corendon-Circus (@CorCirCX) February 18, 2018
Laura Verdonschot Wins First
While Van der Poel has been flying high, literally and figuratively, young Belgian star Laura Verdonschot (Marlux-Bingoal) has had a tough year. Verdonschot entered last year’s U23 World Championships in Bieles as a podium favorite, but finished a disappointing fourth. She entered this season hoping to build on results such as her fifth at the 2017 Hoogerheide World Cup and second at last year’s season finale in Oostmalle.
However, 2017/18 success has been tough to come by for the young rider. She has had to work to get top tens in Elite races for much of the season and finished well off the podium in tenth at the 2018 U23 World Championships in Valkenburg-Limuburg.
Don't know whats wrong with me this year, trying to keep my head up and fight t'ill the end. pic.twitter.com/ZzsiYDZ3JZ
— Laura Verdonschot (@Lauraverdonscht) January 21, 2018
Since her disappointing day on the Cauberg, Verdonschot has gotten some nice results to build on heading into the offseason. She podiumed at Parkcross Malgedem and again on Saturday at Superprestige Middelkerke.
On Sunday at Hulst, Verdonschot put everything together and took the win in the Elite Women’s race. She beat out Ellen Van Loy (Telenet Fidea Lions) and fellow young star Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado (Corendon-Circus). Sanne Cant (IKO-Beobank) finished ninth after winning on Saturday in Middelkerke.
Elle Anderson (Milwaukee – Alpha Motorhomes) finished 6th, Rebecca Fahringer (Stan’s NoTubes p/b Maxxis/gofahr) 16th and Corey Coogan Cisek (The Fix Studio) 29th.
YES! What a way to fight back @Lauraverdonscht 👊 #BricoCross #Vestigingscross #Hulst pic.twitter.com/Xbk0ULrLM0
— Marlux-Bingoal (@MAR_BG_CT) February 18, 2018
Full results from the Women’s and Men’s races are below.
The 2017/18 UCI cyclocross calendar concludes on Sunday at the Internationale Sluitingsprijs Oostmalle.
Women's Results: 2018 Brico Cross Hulst
| Rank | BIB | Last Name | First Name | Country | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 | VERDONSCHOT | Laura | BEL | 0:45:20 |
| 2 | 4 | VAN LOY | Ellen | BEL | 0:45:35 |
| 3 | 10 | DEL CARMEN ALVARADO | Ceylin | NED | 0:45:56 |
| 4 | 3 | KAPTHEIJNS | Maud | NED | 0:46:08 |
| 5 | 5 | SELS | Loes | BEL | 0:46:19 |
| 6 | 12 | ANDERSON | Elle | USA | 0:46:53 |
| 7 | 14 | BAKKER | Manon | NED | 0:47:07 |
| 8 | 25 | VAN DER HEIJDEN | Inge | NED | 0:47:23 |
| 9 | 1 | CANT | Sanne | BEL | 0:47:32 |
| 10 | 22 | FRANCK | Alicia | BEL | 0:47:43 |
| 11 | 30 | VANDERBEKEN | Joyce | BEL | 0:48:01 |
| 12 | 13 | ARZUFFI | Alice Maria | ITA | 0:48:01 |
| 13 | 43 | NAGENGAST | Fleur | NED | 0:48:17 |
| 14 | 42 | VAN DE STEENE | Kim | BEL | 0:48:17 |
| 15 | 32 | VERHESTRAETEN | Karen | BEL | 0:49:30 |
| 16 | 21 | FAHRINGER | Rebecca | USA | 0:49:48 |
| 17 | 18 | VAN DER BURG | Esther | NED | 0:50:06 |
| 18 | 9 | VAN ANROOIJ | Lindy | NED | 0:50:20 |
| 19 | 28 | MULDER | Mascha | NED | 0:51:05 |
| 20 | 39 | GOOSSENS | Veerle | NED | 0:51:33 |
| 21 | 23 | GERRITSEN | Irene | NED | 0:51:40 |
| 22 | 16 | BOSCHKER | Julia | NED | 0:51:44 |
| 23 | 40 | PEETERS | Jinse | BEL | 0:51:50 |
| 24 | 7 | VERSCHUEREN | Jolien | BEL | 0:51:50 |
| 25 | 33 | VOS | Marlies | NED | 0:52:10 |
| 26 | 35 | DE VRIES | Didi | NED | 0:54:04 |
| 27 | 41 | VAN DE PUTTE | Kim | BEL | 2 Laps |
| 28 | 19 | CLAESSEN | Elleke | NED | 2 Laps |
| 29 | 11 | COOGAN CISEK | Corey | USA | 2 Laps |
| 30 | 37 | VAN DER ZWAAN | Laura | NED | 2 Laps |
| 31 | 17 | DE BRUYNE | Meg | BEL | 2 Laps |
| 32 | 20 | EBBINGE | Isolde | NED | 3 Laps |
| 33 | 38 | BLANCHAERT | Jo | BEL | 4 Laps |
| DNF | 27 | KLOPPENBURG | Margriet | DEN | |
| DNF | 34 | DE VOS | Nele | BEL | |
| DNF | 44 | JOOS | Inge | BEL |
Men's Results: 2018 Brico Cross Hulst
| Rank | BIB | Last Name | First Name | Country | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | VAN DER POEL | Mathieu | NED | 0:59:29 |
| 2 | 54 | SWEECK | Laurens | BEL | 0:59:44 |
| 3 | 7 | MEEUSEN | Tom | BEL | 0:59:49 |
| 4 | 3 | ISERBYT | Eli | BEL | 1:00:13 |
| 5 | 10 | VANTHOURENHOUT | Michael | BEL | 1:00:22 |
| 6 | 6 | VAN DER POEL | David | NED | 1:00:28 |
| 7 | 4 | AERTS | Toon | BEL | 1:00:43 |
| 8 | 12 | PAUWELS | Kevin | BEL | 1:00:57 |
| 9 | 8 | MERLIER | Tim | BEL | 1:01:06 |
| 10 | 2 | VAN DER HAAR | Lars | NED | 1:01:18 |
| 11 | 15 | VAN KESSEL | Corne | NED | 1:01:38 |
| 12 | 16 | ADAMS | Jens | BEL | 1:01:44 |
| 13 | 5 | AERNOUTS | Jim | BEL | 1:01:55 |
| 14 | 13 | HERMANS | Quinten | BEL | 1:02:03 |
| 15 | 26 | BOROŠ | Michael | CZE | 1:02:11 |
| 16 | 70 | ORTS LLORET | Felipe | ESP | 1:02:23 |
| 17 | 9 | VERMEERSCH | Gianni | BEL | 1:02:48 |
| 18 | 45 | NIEUWENHUIS | Joris | NED | 1:03:06 |
| 19 | 66 | VANDEBOSCH | Toon | BEL | 1:03:34 |
| 20 | 32 | GODRIE | Stan | NED | 1:03:43 |
| 21 | 11 | PIDCOCK | Thomas | GBR | 1:03:43 |
| 22 | 65 | ŤOUPALÍK | Adam | CZE | 1:04:28 |
| 23 | 14 | AERTS | Thijs | BEL | 1:04:39 |
| 24 | 42 | MERLIER | Braam | BEL | 1:04:39 |
| 25 | 41 | MEISEN | Marcel | GER | 1:04:45 |
| 26 | 74 | BOSMANS | Wietse | BEL | 1:05:35 |
| 27 | 57 | VANTORNOUT | Klaas | BEL | 1:05:37 |
| 28 | 72 | PEETERS | Yannick | BEL | 1:05:41 |
| 29 | 71 | ORTENBLAD | Tobin | USA | 1:05:50 |
| 30 | 30 | DRIESEN | Jarne | BEL | 1:05:59 |
| 31 | 19 | BAKX | Kelvin | NED | 2 Laps |
| 32 | 68 | VANDEBOSCH | Victor | BEL | 2 Laps |
| 33 | 38 | VAN LEEUWEN | Patrick | NED | 2 Laps |
| 34 | 33 | VAN DER HEIJDEN | Maik | NED | 2 Laps |
| 35 | 60 | LIESSENS | Jarno | BEL | 3 Laps |
| 36 | Thompson | Eric | USA | 3 Laps | |
| 37 | 17 | VAN AMERONGEN | Thijs | NED | 3 Laps |
| 38 | 29 | VAN DIJKE | Koen | NED | 3 Laps |
| 39 | 40 | VAN DER MEER | Gosse | NED | 3 Laps |
| 40 | 34 | VAN HELVOIRT | Koen | NED | 4 Laps |
| 41 | 53 | VAN DER STEGEN | Roel | NED | 4 Laps |
| 42 | 43 | MIJNTEN | Martin | NED | 4 Laps |
| 43 | 55 | TIELEN | Dario | BEL | 5 Laps |
| 44 | 49 | SCHREUDER | Carlos | NED | 5 Laps |
| 45 | 24 | DE BOCK | Jelle | BEL | 5 Laps |
| 46 | 39 | MASTEBROEK | Lars | NED | 5 Laps |
| 47 | 25 | DE BOCK | Yoni | BEL | 5 Laps |
| 48 | 58 | CLOUTIER | Tyler | USA | 5 Laps |
| 49 | 21 | BEKAERT | Seppe | BEL | 6 Laps |
| 50 | 61 | OGER | Vincent | BEL | 6 Laps |
| 51 | 48 | RUNHAAR | Marvin | NED | 7 Laps |
| DNF | 22 | VAN BENNEKOM | Kevin | NED | |
| DNF | 28 | DEKKER | Jens | NED | |
| DNF | 46 | PEETERS | Damian | NED | |
| DNF | 47 | ROMBOUTS | Seppe | BEL | |
| DNF | 56 | VANTHOURENHOUT | Dieter | BEL | |
| DNF | 67 | VERMEERSCH | Florian | BEL | |
| DNF | 69 | ESTEBAN AGUERO | Ismael | ESP |
