"He completely destroyed the Belgians" - Dutch pundit considers Van der Poel's breakaway key to rival nation's defeat
Cycling
Mathieu van der Poel's odds at the hard course in Montréal, after he had suffered a crushing defeat at the mountain bike World Championships, were at question. The Dutchman arrived to Montréal right after an outstanding 175-kilometer solo victory in Luxembourg, and immediately become one of the protagonists of the main event.
When the opportunity presented itself, the 31-year-old did not hesitate to jump up the road with seven laps remaining. He was joined by several riders, including cyclocross rival Wout Van Aert. For Belgium, having the Visma rider ahead was a tactical advantage which Van der Poel promptly solved with an acceleration three laps later. This eventually proved key to creating an imbalance in the front group where only Americans were left with more than two (three!) riders.
"He really just set the race on fire. I think he completely destroyed the Belgians," says former rider Michael Boogerd in the NOS Cycling Podcast.
Too offensive strategy?
Ten kilometers from the finish, Van der Poel placed another attack when Brandon McNulty started to slip away once more. This might've been one acceleration too many in the end, but victory was not within the Dutchman's reach at that point anymore, Boogerd estimates. "Perhaps Van der Poel did too much, but I don’t think the outcome would have been different if he hadn’t attacked."
Michael Matthews, Brandon McNulty and Mathieu van der Poel on the podium of the 2026 Montreal World Championships
"I thought for a moment that he had bad legs, because it was extremely early, especially at a World Championship. He wanted to get ahead of the trouble, but he actually causes the trouble himself. He really pushed the other riders to the limit."
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"He has done something again that no one thought possible," Boogerd says, full of praise for his compatriot. "The riders who eventually managed to catch up were already completely wrecked by that point. You can see that reflected in the finale, where everyone finished."
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026 - He is boring
leedorney08-11-2026 - To Twoje przemyślenia te bla, bla :)
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