“He stayed with me for a long time... very impressive" - Mathieu van der Poel full of praise for Emiel Verstrynge following GP Sven Nys battle

Mathieu van der Poel framed his sixth consecutive victory at the GP Sven Nys Baal as a test of patience rather than dominance, reserving particular praise for Emiel Verstrynge after their prolonged duel on the Balenberg.

“He had a good day,” Van der Poel said afterwards in post-race quotes collected by Sporza. “He stayed with me for a long time, and that was impressive. There wasn’t much said between us, and that wasn’t necessary either. I know him reasonably well. He’s a nice guy with a lot of talent, and that showed today.”

For much of the race, Verstrynge proved an unusually resilient presence, repeatedly responding to accelerations and matching Van der Poel on terrain where few others have managed to do so this season.

The decisive move only came late, when Van der Poel finally raised the tempo beyond reach, powering clear to the expected victory many had predicted at the start of the day.

Van der Poel also reflected calmly on his earlier fall, which briefly brought him down on an uphill section without altering the outcome. “I drifted a bit off the line, couldn’t get back into it, and ended up on the ground,” he explained, without embellishment.

With little time to recover, attention now turns quickly to the next test. On New Year’s Day in Baal, it was Verstrynge who pushed him hardest. On Thursday in Mol, another familiar rival awaits. “These days I’m often better in the second race than in the first,” Van der Poel said. “Maybe that’s age. Hopefully that’s also the case tomorrow.”

That next challenge comes against Wout van Aert, promising a very different dynamic. But in Baal, Van der Poel was content to acknowledge resistance where it came, having once again found the decisive moment when it mattered most.