Mathieu van der Poel after winning World cup Benidorm - "A great battle with Wout. I'm very happy to win here"

In a thrilling display, Mathieu van der Poel emerged victorious in Benidorm, defeating Wout van Aert.

"The back felt much better than the previous races. Winning is always very nice," said van der Poel after the race. He continues, "It was a nice race, but also quite dangerous and slippery because of all the sand and gravel. That made it difficult to ride. But it ended up being a great battle with Wout. I'm very happy to win here."

The ultimate showdown was a repeat of van der Poel versus Wout van Aert. "For me, it was important to ride at the front at the bars because, after that, it was very difficult to overtake. The sprint was also very short," said the Dutchman.

The absence of back pain allowed him to give his all during the race, unlike in his previous races where it had been causing him discomfort."It was a very good race. I am very happy with this win. Physically, I feel good. My back felt much better than in previous races, and I could go very deep. I did need that to win," concluded van der Poel.