And if Mathieu van der Poel doesn’t make it in Hulst? "I'll definitely keep racing cyclocross"
Mathieu van der Poel has yet another appointment with history this coming Sunday. In Hulst, the Dutchman can become world cyclocross champion in the elite category for the eighth time. No one has ever done that before. Van der Poel also starts as the overwhelming favorite, but despite his dominance, he is certainly not counting his chickens just yet.
After his demonstrations in Maasmechelen and Hoogerheide, everyone in the cyclocross world agrees: Mathieu van der Poel, barring bad luck or illness, simply cannot lose at the upcoming World Championships in Hulst.
However, the seven-time world champion himself is not getting ahead of things. “I am focused and I’m definitely not going there feeling like it’s already won,” he said in an interview with Het Laatste Nieuws. “I have had a good preparation, and that gives me peace of mind. But it still has to happen.”
Still, last Sunday in Hoogerheide, Van der Poel once again showed the vast difference he has over his rivals. The Alpecin-Premier Tech rider does not see his performance in Hoogerheide as a statement ahead of the Worlds, though. “There’s no point in trying to make a statement, because everyone starts from scratch again in Hulst.”
“I just felt really good, hopefully I’ll have a good day on Sunday as well. [...] I haven’t studied the course yet, but it should suit me. They’re also forecasting some rain this week. That’s good, because I’m hoping for a tough race.”
