Mathieu van der Poel takes first look at world championship course in Hulst

On Friday morning, Mathieu van der Poel already made his first trip down to Hulst to inspect the course for the upcoming Cyclocross World Championships.

Like the Belgian national team and part of the KNWU selection, Van der Poel completed several laps between 11 a.m. and 12 p.m. His teammates Tibor Del Grosso and Puck Pieterse had scouted the track a day earlier.

Later today, the Mixed Team Relay is on the schedule for Del Grosso and company. Van der Poel will only compete on Sunday at 3 p.m., when he will aim for an eighth world title – an absolute record.