Dutch coach stunned by Mathieu van der Poel's shoe fixing: "I really can't explain how he did that"

Koos Moerenhout, the coach of the Dutch elite men, was just as shocked as the majority of cycling fans and journalists when Mathieu van der Poel won the elite men’s road race at the World Championships with a broken shoe.

"I really can't explain how he did that," Moerenhout said. "I’ve no clue there but he managed to do it. Always when a crash happens you never know: is the bike damaged? Are the shoes damaged? That's all high tech stuff of course. If you fall the wrong way, then easily you run into a problem and luckily he could still use his bike."

"With a bit of adjusting he could at least put some power through his shoe and finish the job. It's a hectic moment once that happens. You're full of adrenaline and there's only one way to go. It's a reaction most cyclists have," he added.

"Am I okay? Is the bike okay? and then they just go again. Of course, you have to be a bit lucky that the bike is still working after a crash and stuff, but even with that you could still see he was the best man on the bike at that stage. He kept gaining ground and there was no doubt about it that he was going to finish it off at that point."