Van der Poel adds another diamond to his crown

2024-01-01 18:28:40

Updated Monday, January 1, 2024 – 17:28

The Dutchman achieved his eighth victory in eight appearances in Baal this season on the cyclocross calendar.

Van der Poel celebrates the victory.JASPER JACOBSAFP

The king is not dead. Not at all. He doesn’t even suffer an ailment. He has not even taken a nap or slept for a while to rest for himself or out of compassion for others. In reality, he is more alive than ever. Stronger. Or, in short, as strong as ever. Mathieu van der Poel obtained, in Baalwhere it was not planned in principle to coincide with the other two tenors (Van Aert y Pidcock), are eighth victory in eight appearances this season on the cyclocross calendar.

And this time, contrary to his habit, he did not slow down in the last lap to win by a handful of seconds that did not reflect, that did not express the authentic development of the race. No. This time, within his initial superiority, he continued to force the machine until the desserts and left Wout van Aert to, practically, two minutes (1:55). Already Pim Ronhaaralmost three (2:44).

The Belgian kept pace with him at first. But, probably because he was running above his current possibilities, he made a mistake, one of those that the Dutchman, who dominates races by strength and technique, practically never makes, and he lost his way. Curly haircompatriot of Van der Poel, maintained a duel with Tom Pidcock for third place on the podium. But the British deflated in the last bars. To such an extent that he, twelfth, was overtaken by Felipe Ortsundcimo a 4:57 de Van der Poel.

The circuit was beautiful for a test of cyclocross. It did not lack anything of the usual and the contingent: stretches of hard ground, puddles like small lagoons, asphalt, steps, planks, slides, superficial mud and that deep, sticky mud where the feet sink and the wheels get stuck. So, machine on shoulder and men in batter. And with her on her back or pedaling. And with mud up to the eyebrows, Van der Poel He added another diamond to his crown.