Mathieu van der Poel’s impressive run of cyclocross triumphs was cut short on Sunday in Benidorm due to a series of misfortunes. Since January 8, 2023, in Zonhoven, van der Poel has known defeat in a Cyclocross competition.
“At first my chain came loose and I had to chase him, but that was fine in itself,” he reflected in his post-race interview, detailing his misfortune. “But on the penultimate lap, after the sand pit, I hit a pole hard with my shoulder and I knew it was over.”
“There doesn’t need to be routes like this”
Van der Poel also made a point of mentioning his displeasure with the Benidorm course, after struggling to finish in 5th position, 12 seconds behind winner Wout Van Aert. “In my opinion there is no need for courses like this in Cyclocross. I said the same thing last year when I won,” he explains.
“The public obviously likes it a lot, but purely in terms of the route, it’s definitely not something I need,” concludes the world champion. “I understand that it will be fantastic for the viewers, because it will always be a battle to the end, as it is almost impossible for the cyclists to stay away from each other.”
