"I still felt it, but maybe that was good, so that I didn't think too much about my legs" - Not even a broken rib can stop Mathieu van der Poel at World Cup Maasmechelen

Mathieu van der Poel made an incredible return to cyclocross at the World Cup Maasmechelen, overcoming the pain of a broken rib to dominate the field. The six-time world champion defeated his long-time rival Wout van Aert by a staggering 1 minute and 14 seconds.

After his remarkable victory, Van der Poel reflected on his performance in an interview with Wielerflits. "I still felt it, but maybe that was good, so that I didn't think too much about my legs," he said about his rib injury. "I'm happy. I enjoyed this race. It was super beautiful, also with the audience. It was a real cross today."

Van der Poel credited his training camp for his strong showing, saying, “It seems like I’m always pretty good when I come back from a training camp. Even when I have a lot of training load in my legs. I think a course like that is better after a training camp than a fast cross. You just have to go at your own pace. Technically I was also good today, so I’m happy with this victory.”

Looking ahead to next weekend, Van der Poel has the chance to make history by equalling the record for the most world cyclocross titles. A seventh title would further cement his legacy as one of the sport’s greatest ever riders.