Sven Nys has no doubts about Mathieu van der Poel's ambitions for Dwars door het Hageland: "There is no doubt that he has set his sights on winning"
Cycling
Co-commentator and expert for Sporza on the region Sven Nys looks ahead to Dwars door het Hageland marked by Mathieu van der Poel's return to competition for the first time since Paris-Roubaix.
"The competition, as it is now structured, has a fantastic final," Sven Nys does not hide his love for his region. "I'm a fan of that race. In the big loop there are nice gravel strips along the Demer, where people can very easily see the peloton pass several times."
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"Mathieu will be the common thread through that course," Nys thinks. "When will he untie his devils? He's got a strong squad of men he can send ahead."
"You don't know how he will feel after a long time without competition. But he is a champion and he has already won that race. There is no doubt that he has set his sights on winning."
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Nys tries to justify van der Poel's extraordinary approach to Tour de France preparation, skipping both traditional choices - Critérium du Dauphiné and Tour de Suisse. "Mathieu is someone who likes to race and goes on the attack. These races are ideal for that. Moreover, it is close to home. Riders are already abroad a lot, so that certainly plays a role."
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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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- A great champion but a better human. jus' sayin'
Davide15-11-2026 - Congrats! It is done so now is time for CX.averagecyclist15-11-2026
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- mij, I am not so sure of that. I have been on a spine ward at a Denver hospital that had quite a few spinal injuries from mountain biking.BDBigGuy15-11-2026
- Pogi takes care of his teammates in races and training. Tadej Pogačar is widely praised within the cycling peloton for his fair and egalitarian leadership, actively supporting his UAE teammates both on the road during races and behind the scenes at training camps. Rather than acting like an untouchable superstar, he has intense team loyalty by sharing daily chores, giving up personal glory to help domestiques, and publicly praising their sacrifices. Unlike some Grand Tour contenders, like Vingegaard, who occasionally train away from their squads, Pogi consistently attends team training camps alongside his domestiques, making the exact same sacrifices to build friendship. I love how Pogačar shares his teammates-domestiques, either when they succeed or win in races or when they simply just do a good job for him. It has to be a great moral boost for them. And then they work even harder and go even deeper for Pogi. This is teamwork.PogiSloFans15-11-2026
- Yeah, what he said!Lozza15-11-2026
- I’m sure Jasper Philipsen would disagree with you.Lozza15-11-2026
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- there are more vicious injuries on a road bike than a mountain bike far and away.mij15-11-2026
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Sven Nys: "Mathieu van der Poel wordt de rode draad in Dwars door het Hageland" sporza.be/nl/artikels/sv… #sporza
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