Mathieu van der Poel continues his impressive streak, with ten races and ten victories this winter, in another remarkable display this Sunday at the UCI World Cup in Zonhoven (Belgium). With this win, MVDP reaches the remarkable milestone of 159 victories as a professional cyclist.
Unfortunately, Cameron Mason had a disastrous start, falling in the first meters and being forced to an early abandonment. Shortly after the first lap, a trio composed of Joris Nieuwenhuis, Mathieu van der Poel, and Laurens Sweeck established and maintained a solid lead.
The front group expanded in the following laps, with names like Pim Ronhaar, Eli Iserbyt, Thibau Nys, and Toon Vandenbosch being added to the main group.
Ronhaar set the pace at the front of the group, and for some, matching that pace was very challenging. One of those was the leader in the World Cup standings, Eli Iserbyt.
Mathieu Van der Poel’s Attack
In the 4th lap, Van der Poel finally made his move, immediately opening a gap that couldn’t be closed. Nieuwenhuis took on the responsibility of chasing him.
While Van der Poel maintained a steady pace, the effort exerted by his opponents to try and catch up was evident.
Behind Van der Poel, the battle for the rest of the podium was thrilling. Four opponents were still in contention; however, Vandebosch had a fall and was out of the competition, leaving Nieuwenhuis, Ronhaar, and Sweeck to compete for second and third.
In the end, Nieuwenhuis secured the second position, with Sweeck surpassing Ronhaar to finish in 3rd place.
Watch the entire race
Results Cyclocross World Cup Zonhoven 2024
