“It was a special moment”: Tibor del Grosso reflects on fleeting Maasmechelen lead as Van der Poel rewrites history
Cyclocross
For a brief spell in Maasmechelen, Tibor del Grosso found himself in a position few riders have occupied this winter, alone at the front with Mathieu van der Poel temporarily out of the picture. It did not last, but it said plenty about the race, and about the rider who ultimately reclaimed control.
Del Grosso moved into the lead after Van der Poel suffered one of two punctures that defined his most dramatic outing of the season. The opportunity was real, even if the reality of what was coming quickly set in. “It was special for a moment,” Del Grosso admitted afterwards. “But I realised quite quickly that Thibau and Niels were coming back. And Mathieu was also coming quickly.”
A chance created, and taken seriously
That awareness did not stop Del Grosso from committing fully to the moment. With Van der Poel chasing and Thibau Nys and Niels Vandeputte closing in, the Dutch rider chose to ride his own race rather than wait for the inevitable.
“Did I think about winning? Yes, definitely,” he said. “And I tried as well. It just wasn’t hard enough.”
Those words neatly captured the dynamic of the day. Maasmechelen offered openings, but only briefly, and only to those prepared to take risks. Del Grosso did exactly that, riding assertively when the race fractured and forcing Van der Poel to work his way back the hard way.
Measuring yourself against the benchmark
Del Grosso’s perspective mattered because it came from inside the race rather than from the outside looking in. He saw first hand how quickly the balance shifted once Van der Poel began his recovery, and how little margin there was for error when the world champion lifted the pace again.
Within a lap, the race had been reset. Van der Poel closed the gap, regrouped, and later delivered the decisive move that carried him clear to his 50th World Cup victory. What looked like a genuine opening became another example of how difficult he is to contain even on his most vulnerable days.
For Del Grosso, the moment at the front was still meaningful. It offered a measure of where he stands, and how small the margins are at the very top of the sport. For Van der Poel, it was another reminder that even when control is stripped away by punctures and pressure, his presence alone reshapes the race.
Maasmechelen will be remembered for Van der Poel matching a legendary record. But for those who briefly rode ahead of him, it also underlined a simple truth of this winter: chances exist, but they close fast, and sooner or later, everything bends back towards the same rider.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
claps 1visitors 1
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- Yep, next we’ll be accusing F1 drivers of avoiding Le Mans.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- But on what is that opinion based? Are you holding him to a different standard than others? Are you saying he should do learn to like something he doesn’t Are you saying he hasn’t achieved enough Are you saying he pretends to be better than his results? It’s actually a really strange opinion to oust if you consider it objectively or rationally. Try applying it to others or yourself by asking if not EVERYONE should then be doing more? Nobody in athletics or swimming gets criticism for not expanding their repertoire when a rival or someone else does. In fact, most who move to another event get accused of running from their rival. Opinions are boring, the reasons behind them are what count.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- for a medical chief to throw things like is just bad. There are already radios which were banned for spectacle. allow radios. Gps trackers are not a complete solutionabstractengineer07-11-2026
- Yeah man...PogiSloFans07-11-2026
- any rider less than 25 whether they are really ready for the position of leadership of GT is probably not the case. I think Pogi himself suffered when he was defeated by Jonas in the TDF twice. But that would be the team's job to ensure support so that they can bounce back. It requires a team and time to get back up and win after getting knocked down.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I'm very glad he got the big late Quickstep Vuelta win and I hope he has a few left for Euskaltel-Euskadi.flyer07-11-2026
- My memories of Ivan Basso aren't good but I liked his sister Elisa ok.flyer07-11-2026
- I'm picking .... .... Never mind 🫥flyer07-11-2026
- If Tiberi has a better and more consistent 2027 I somehow doubt it will be because of this victorious warning. Unless his preparation has been off, cycling isn't football.flyer07-11-2026
- Love this guy. He is such a pure racer.mij07-11-2026
Loading
Write a comment