The cyclocross season calls again for Mathieu van der Poel, just one day after his victory at the GP Sven Nys. The world champion did crash in Baal. Does he still feel the effects ahead of the Zilvermeercross in Mol? Van der Poel shared a reassuring message for the camera of, among others, WielerFlits.
On New Year's Day, Mathieu van der Poel was once again unbeatable, but the race in Baal didn’t go entirely smoothly for the Alpecin-Deceuninck rider. The Dutchman crashed during the race and took a hit to his shoulder. "I think it looked worse than it actually was, because I don’t really feel any pain," MVDP reassured the cyclocross fans.
So Van der Poel lines up worry-free and with a lot of motivation in Mol, despite the fact that the Zilvermeercross isn’t part of any of the three season-long classifications. "I’m racing because I enjoy the event. It’s also not that far from home, and everyone knows I like racing on sandy courses."
About the course and a possible duel
How is the sand looking in Mol? "Very challenging. It seems like there’s more sand this year. The sections are really tough and they follow each other at a fast pace. In half a lap, everything is tightly packed. You can already feel you’re breathing hard during warm-up."
Van der Poel is again the overwhelming favorite for victory in Mol, but he will have to face his great rival Wout van Aert once more. Does he expect, like in Loenhout, a head-to-head battle? "That’s possible. Although Loenhout was a course to stay together for a long time. Here it’s a bit harder to ride as a duo because a mistake in the sand can happen quickly. But yes, it could definitely happen," he concludes.
Mathieu van der Poel
