Mathieu van der Poel looks forward to Hofstade cyclocross but has a point of criticism

After his victories in Antwerp and Koksijde, Mathieu van der Poel is going for a true hat-trick of wins in the sand. The world champion is looking forward to his first appearance in Hofstade among the pros, but he also has a critical note to raise.

"This is my third consecutive sand race. It's my first time in Hofstade. It's always nice to race at a different location," Van der Poel told Sporza before the start. "It's also a course that should suit me."

Is the Dutchman a fan of the course after scouting it? "It's a good circuit, although there are a bit too many corners," Van der Poel notes. "But other than that, it’s a nice loop."

Challenging sand sections
What else has caught the eye of the Alpecin-Deceuninck leader? "The sand here is tricky. It’s really tough, hard to ride through. It’s heavier than expected. When you come out of these sections, you’re definitely gasping for air."

For the man in the rainbow jersey, it's his third race in three days, while rivals like Wout van Aert and Thibau Nys were absent from Koksijde on Sunday. Will this still affect Van der Poel later? "Koksijde is always a tough course. It’s a struggle for everyone, but normally that shouldn’t be a problem."