Laurens Sweeck almost manages to upset Mathieu van der Poel in Mol: "Without him I would have won the race"
Cyclocross
Mathieu van der Poel's arrival in the 2024/25 cyclocross season has been as expected. The Dutchman has won the first 2 races he has contested quite easily. However, at the Zilvermeercross Mol on Monday, he was a bit more uncomfortable due to the large amount of sand.
In fact, Laurens Sweeck at times looked like he could snatch victory from the reigning six-time cyclocross world champion. Although in the end it was not the case, the Belgian left very satisfied with his performance.
"When I managed to get back on Mathieu on that sand strip, I had a good pace. I felt good, but very soon I realized I was going too fast," Sweeck said in words picked up by Wielerflits.
"I saw stars on his wheel. Some sand strips I caught very well, but in the intermediate sections he was clinging to the wheel," he added.
Sweeck had to get back into his rhythm at one point, due to a restart by Van der Poel. Still, he was able to hold the position and finish the race in second place - a more than decent result for Sweeck. "Last week, when Mathieu wasn't here, this would have been a win. But now it's a second place. But it was my third cross in three days, I can look back on it positively," concluded Laurens Sweeck.
Results Superprestige Zilvermeercross Mol 2024
| Position | Name | Team | Time |
| 1 | VAN DER POEL Mathieu | Alpecin-Deceuninck | 59:41 |
| 2 | SWEECK Laurens | Crelan - Corendon | 1:03 |
| 3 | VANTHOURENHOUT Michael | Pauwels Sauzen - Bingoal | 1:35 |
| 4 | WYSEURE Joran | Crelan - Corendon | 1:41 |
| 5 | VANDEPUTTE Niels | Alpecin-Deceuninck | 1:55 |
| 6 | VAN DER HAAR Lars | Baloise Trek Lions | 2:08 |
| 7 | KUHN Kevin | Charles Liégeois Roastery CX | 2:14 |
| 8 | ORTS LLORET Felipe | Ridley Racing Team | 2:29 |
| 9 | SOETE Daan | Ridley Racing Team | 3:18 |
| 10 | LOOCKX Lander | TDT Unibet | 3:24 |
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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