Mathieu van der Poel secured his ninth consecutive victory this winter, showcasing the now typically dominant style we have become accustomed to in the X2O Trophy in Koksijde, leading from start to finish.
Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert faced off once again in Koksijde before both headed to Spain for a training camp. They will meet again on January 21 at the World Cup in Benidorm.
In Koksijde, Tom Pidcock was absent, having missed the fifth round of the X2O Trophy due to illness. Pim Ronhaar, Lars van der Haar, and sand specialist Laurens Sweeck were present.
Wout van Aert faced difficulties with his pedal at the start but quickly recovered after an impressive 200-meter acceleration. He joined the wheel of leader Mathieu van der Poel. Laurens Sweeck led the pack in the first sandy section.
A leading group emerged in the sand, featuring Laurens Sweeck, Wout van Aert, Mathieu van der Poel, Michael Vanthourenhout, Joran Wyseure, and Thibau Nys. It didn’t take long for the world champion to launch his decisive attack once again. No one could follow him, and he pulled away once more.
Another solo flight by Mathieu Van der Poel
What followed was another solo performance. Much like all Cyclocross races this winter, Van der Poel took off in front. Pim Ronhaar was alone in pursuit of the leader. Van Aert battled for third place in a chasing group that included Quinten Hermans.
In the final lap, Van Aert even got close to Pim Ronhaar. The Dutchman from Baloise Trek Lions was already over a minute behind MVDP after six out of seven laps. The world champion didn’t need to exert any extra effort in the final lap to secure his ninth victory of the season. Ronhaar finished second, with Van Aert in third.
Watch the summary of the competition, featuring another performance by Mathieu Van der Poel.
Complete results of the X2O Trophy Koksijde:
