"I hope to ride my best cross of the season next week" - Mathieu van der Poel heads to World Championship with 7 wins from 7 races this winter

Mathieu van der Poel continues to make the sport of cyclocross look totally easy this winter. The Dutchman emerged a dominant winner on Sunday afternoon at World Cup Hoogerheide and as such, heads to the upcoming World Championships with seven wins from his seven races over this season.

Attacking on the very first lap of the race, Van der Poel wasted little time asserting dominance in front of his compatriots. The gap to the rest of the field only increased from there too, eventually crossing the finish line 1:42 clear of 2nd placed Michael Vanthourenhout. "I said beforehand that I like these conditions," he reflected afterwards. "It was tough, but I'm happy with the feeling. I had recovered well after yesterday. I felt my rib, but it didn't bother me. I won't be riding slower next week because of it. I'm on schedule and I'm looking forward to next week."

"It was incredibly difficult and I had the intention to start a bit more relaxed, but I immediately had a gap at the end of the first lap. The lap is so difficult that it was a matter of riding at a fast pace, from start to finish. That's why I rode for another hour to reap the benefits next week," he added.

“It was fun, I enjoyed myself and I’m happy with the result of all the hard work. I’m happy with the feeling and ready for next week,” Van der Poel concludes. “I think what we wanted to do worked out. I hope to ride my best cross of the season next week.”