Mathieu van der Poel secured his ninth Cyclocross season victory this Thursday. In the X2O Trophy Koksijde, he once again emerged victorious by a significant margin, although it didn’t come automatically. “It was very tough, especially riding at my own pace,” he said in a quick interview after the race.
Koksijde is one of the most challenging races of the season.
“Koksijde is always one of the tough races to lead because when you get to the sand sections, the track disappears,” said Van der Poel.
It wasn’t necessarily his intention to attack immediately to be able to ride his own lines. “I rode very well in the sand twice, which immediately gave me a good advantage. Then I chose the pace. Pim Ronhaar came close, so I had to keep accelerating.”
Follow MVDP’s performance in the sand.
The best is yet to come.
Van der Poel is currently dominating Cyclocross, but the major goals are still ahead. What percentage of his best form is he currently in? “That’s very difficult to say, but I can certainly improve heading towards the World Cup. I trained very well for the season.”
“After Zonhoven (next Sunday), I will return to Spain to finalize the preparation for the World Cup. How much more can I improve? You have to ask the coach about that. Of course, we are in the process. First for the World Cup, then for the spring classics. Anyway, the peak should be in spring. That’s still the most important.”
Watch Van der Poel’s interview.