Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix) found himself in unfamiliar territory coming into Sunday’s UCI Cyclocross World Cup in Hulst.
Although the race in Zeeland is in his home country, this year the pandemic storm blew it away from the traditional course in the shadow of the iconic windmill, a course where Van der Poel enjoyed his 32nd victory of the season in 2019 and 30th victory in 2018.
In this shortened season, Van der Poel headed into Hulst without even double-digit victories notched on his 2020/2021 season’s belt.
He also took to the start coming off a World Cup loss and lining up to the strange sight of rival Wout van Aert in a series leader’s jersey.
Van Aert delivered Van der Poel’s third defeat of the season at the run-heavy, criticism-laden Dendermond World Cup earlier this week.
The race began with Toon Aerts (Baloise Trek Lions) taking to the front on a course he had complimented earlier in the week.
. @mathieuvdpoel was unstoppable in his homecountry! 🏆 #CXWorldCup pic.twitter.com/63ondZ83lN
— UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup (@UCIcyclocrossWC) January 3, 2021
Van der Poel followed the tall Belgian, while Van Aert and rivals were gapped and gave chase.
While Aerts may have found the new course to his liking, Van der Poel didn’t find Aert’s pace to his liking. He took off on the second lap for his own Sunday ride.
Aerts faded while the top cyclocrossers of the season emerged to sort out the final podium positions.
Tom Pidcock (Trinity Racing), Wout van Aert (Jumbo Visma) and Michael Vanthourehout (Pauwels Sauzen – Bingoal) were left fighting for the other two podium spots in a chaotic race.
Racers crashed coming off the flyover, and at a critical moment, Van Aert was held up.
Van Aert entered the pits for a fresh bike, only to have his clean bike pulled from him as he was about to grab it and remount.
Not the ideal moment to forget your bike @WoutvanAert! 👀 #CXWorldCup pic.twitter.com/C0pW1KJfbX
— UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup (@UCIcyclocrossWC) January 3, 2021
While it looked like a mental lapse on his pit mechanic’s part, it was more innocent than that. See more details here.
For a moment, Pidcock and Van Aert were locked in a battle that looked like it would come down to the wire.
3️⃣ chasers behind @mathieuvdpoel, who will complete the podium? #CXWorldCup pic.twitter.com/CopmvFtWD8
— UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup (@UCIcyclocrossWC) January 3, 2021
In the end, the gaps were secure well before the line. Van der Poel took the victory with a whopping 91-second margin over Van Aert, with Pidcock another 18 seconds in arrears.
It was another podium alongside van der Poel and van Aert for @Tompid 🥉 and a top 20 for @AnnaKay_3 at the @UCI_CX World Cup in Hulst today 🇳🇱
Full results 📄 https://t.co/Q75PxBbNAs#CXWorldCup
📺 @UCIcyclocrossWC pic.twitter.com/gafgHXY4Wp— British Cycling (@BritishCycling) January 3, 2021
Americans Curtis White, Jonathan Anderson, Andrew Giniat and Jules van Kempen came in 21st, 48th, 49th and 50th respectively.
Canadian Michael van den Ham came in 34th.
Full results below.
2021 World Cup Hulst Results: Elite Men
| Rank | BIB | Rider | Nation | Age | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | VAN DER POEL Mathieu | NED | 26 | 1:05:27 |
| 2 | 18 | VAN AERT Wout | BEL | 27 | 1:06:58 |
| 3 | 55 | PIDCOCK Thomas | GBR | 22 | 1:07:16 |
| 4 | 16 | VANTHOURENHOUT Michael | BEL | 28 | 1:08:08 |
| 5 | 15 | AERTS Toon | BEL | 28 | 1:08:34 |
| 6 | 2 | VAN DER HAAR Lars | NED | 30 | 1:08:46 |
| 7 | 17 | HERMANS Quinten | BEL | 26 | 1:08:59 |
| 8 | 14 | SWEECK Laurens | BEL | 28 | 1:09:04 |
| 9 | 4 | KAMP Ryan | NED | 21 | 1:09:39 |
| 10 | 3 | VAN KESSEL Corne | NED | 30 | 1:10:13 |
| 11 | 9 | RONHAAR Pim | NED | 20 | 1:10:21 |
| 12 | 19 | VERMEERSCH Gianni | BEL | 29 | 1:10:28 |
| 13 | 5 | NIEUWENHUIS Joris | NED | 25 | 1:10:34 |
| 14 | 22 | AERTS Thijs | BEL | 25 | 1:10:38 |
| 15 | 20 | SOETE Daan | BEL | 27 | 1:10:41 |
| 16 | 29 | KUHN Kevin | SUI | 23 | 1:11:31 |
| 17 | 23 | MERLIER Tim | BEL | 29 | 1:11:51 |
| 18 | 26 | FERDINANDE Anton | BEL | 21 | |
| 19 | 25 | BEKAERT Yentl | BEL | 22 | |
| 20 | 57 | TURNER Ben | GBR | 22 | |
| 21 | 31 | WHITE Curtis | USA | 26 | |
| 22 | 24 | KIELICH Timo | BEL | 22 | |
| 23 | 30 | RÜEGG Timon | SUI | 25 | |
| 24 | 37 | MENUT David | FRA | 29 | |
| 25 | 10 | HENDRIKX Mees | NED | 21 | |
| 26 | 21 | BAESTAENS Vincent | BEL | 32 | |
| 27 | 50 | FEIJOO ALBERTE Ivan | ESP | 22 | |
| 28 | 6 | VAN DER POEL David | NED | 29 | |
| 29 | 35 | BOROŠ Michael | CZE | 29 | |
| 30 | 48 | ORTS LLORET Felipe | ESP | 26 | |
| 31 | 44 | ANANIE Ugo | FRA | 19 | |
| 32 | 42 | GUILLAUD Valentin | FRA | 24 | |
| 33 | 49 | SUAREZ FERNANDEZ Kevin | ESP | 27 | |
| 34 | 52 | VAN DEN HAM Michael | CAN | 29 | |
| 35 | 51 | JUNQUERA SAN MILLAN Mario | ESP | 24 | |
| 36 | 46 | MORICHON Mathieu | FRA | 26 | |
| 37 | 12 | VERBURG Luke | NED | 20 | |
| 38 | 8 | VAN DER HEIJDEN Maik | NED | 24 | |
| 39 | 41 | PHILIBERT Aurélien | FRA | 26 | |
| 40 | 53 | SAMPARISI Nicolas | ITA | 29 | |
| 41 | 39 | CRISPIN Mickaël | FRA | 23 | |
| 42 | 7 | GODRIE Stan | NED | 28 | |
| 43 | 43 | MAINGUENAUD Tom | FRA | 21 | |
| 44 | 54 | SAMPARISI Lorenzo | ITA | 28 | |
| 45 | 45 | TROPARDY Arthur | FRA | 30 | |
| 46 | 67 | PRIES Cédric | LUX | 21 | |
| 47 | 66 | CONROY David | IRL | 23 | |
| 48 | 33 | ANDERSON Jonathan | USA | 25 | |
| 49 | 32 | GINIAT Andrew | USA | 30 | |
| 50 | 34 | VAN KEMPEN Jules | USA | 19 | |
| 56 | MEIN Thomas | GBR | 22 | ||
| 13 | ISERBYT Eli | BEL | 24 |
