Spectacular exhibition of Van der Poel in the Cycling World Cup

2023-08-06 18:39:10

The grandfather, the always eternal Raymond Poulidor, had won a silver and three bronze medals in the World Cups. As happened to him on the Tour, he always stayed far from gold, the one that his grandson Mathieu van der Poel achieved this Sunday in one of the best World Championships in recent years and the one that ended with a splendid podium. Wout van Aert (silver) and Tadej Pogacar (bronze) accompanied the Dutch prodigy, although, no matter how many names they wear on the bike, they were light years away from the wonderful exhibition of a rider who in this 2023 has been cyclo-cross world champion and winner of Milan-San Remo and Paris-Roubaix… that’s nothing.

Much criticism had been earned by the Glasgow city circuit. What if it wasn’t hard enough, what were they all going to get to the sprint, what was impossible to attack and a condemnation to the purest cycling spectacle. Look where, the streets of the Scottish city claimed the attack cycling, the offensives to more than 100 kilometers from the finish line and what has happened so many times in this sport: it is the runners, with their way of acting, who write the epic and turn a course into wild territory.

wild, no more

Because Glasgow was wild, with its slopes that in the end were spectacular and decisive, and because only 51 cyclists finished the test destroyed by Van der Poelthe first rider in history to become road and cyclo-cross world champion in the same year, curiously, on the ground, with Van Aert, like this Sunday, in second position. And, be careful, because in these World Cups in Glasgow, where the International Cycling Union (UCI) has brought together all the disciplines, the grandson of Poulidor he may also be the mountain bike world champion next week. And, in October, gravel.

Evenepoel, without strength

He will never be a hero of the Tour, even if he has won stages and has even dressed in yellow, which his grandfather did not do. A few weeks ago he was only seen sprinting his Belgian teammate Jasper Philipsen. And a little more. But he prepared and psyched himself up to wear the rainbow jersey. They even went around the world some images of Van der Poel demarcating on the slopes of Glasgow, in the same area, 23 kilometers from the finish line, where he brought out the colors to Van Aert, Pogacar and the former world champion -in the end, a chocolate medal- Mads Pedersen. He prepared himself conscientiously and was smart enough so that a Belgium, without agreement between Van Aert y Remco Evenepoeldefending the title and who ran out of strength from so much spilling, did all the dirty work for him.

Van der Poel falls in full flight to victory! ????#GlasgowScotland2023 pic.twitter.com/nxWzB7yHoC

— Eurosport.es (@Eurosport_ES) August 6, 2023

He was going about his business, to let the Italian mature Alberto Bettiolthe one who attacked in the provisioning zone -very noble, although legal, it was not the action-, to get mad at a Van Aert, who bent the knee again, already a willful Pogacar.

The attack of Van der Poel it was exaggerated, like the gust of wind that blows away all notes when a random window is opened. Suddenly, he was left alone in front of the World Cup. 23 kilometers from finishing the test, the Dutch already began to guess that 38 years after having done it Joop Sweet Milk they would have a world champion again.

???????? Van der Poel is the best of all! #GlasgowScotland2023 #GlasgowRTVE

???? It had been 38 years since his country, the Netherlands, had not won the World Cup

What a spectacle they have given us! More than 6 hours on the bike! pic.twitter.com/x4YZYOEfTg

– Teledeporte (@teledeporte) August 6, 2023

And that they got a tremendous scare. It was raining in Scotland. 16.5 kilometers to go. All tied up and well tied up by Van der Poel. He takes a curve, his rear wheel skids and he slams into the fences. The ‘jersey’ is half torn, it breaks the closure of the right shoe, but at least the bike is intact. It takes a while for him to pedal again, but he not only loses seconds, but immediately gains them again.

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From then until the end it was a festival of Van der Poelso that his grandfather, who died in 2019, would be proud… and also his father Adriewho in 1983 won the silver medal behind Greg Lemond. Spectacular. There is no other word to define Van der Poel’s feat.

Only two Spaniards finished the test. Alex Aranburu was 19th and Ivan Garcia Cortina finished in 30th position. Ion Izagirre was the most active but he dropped out.

The final ranking.