Update (v3): 🗓️ The 🇳🇱 Mathieu van der Poel, 🇧🇪 Wout van Aert and 🇬🇧 Tom Pidcock cyclocross calendar 2023-2024. ⚔️ ✅ Tom Pidcock in Baal ❌ Wout van Aert not in Zonhoven ✅ Wout van Aert in Benidorm
Mathieu van der Poel discusses 'spitting' incident: "I knew in advance that it was not the best way to solve something like that"
CyclocrossMonday, 01 January 2024 at 15:07
Mathieu van der Poel knew that the spitting incident in Hulst would end up being controversial but does not regret it. The World Champion felt that he had to do something in the situation that developed.
“I knew in advance that it was not the best way to solve something like that and I knew that it would be on screen, but I don't think I should and cannot just let everything happen,” van der Poel told Wielerflits this morning . “Obviously it's not the smartest thing to do, I know that myself. It certainly won't solve it, but doing nothing won't solve it either. I don't think you should let things like that pass you by.”
Today, he faces Wout van Aert in a tough and muddy circuit in Baal. Van der Poel is eager for one of the last battles between the two that will take place this winter. “And I think it (the mud, ed.) will get even worse the more the course is ridden. It will be a difficult assignment anyway. But it is not necessarily something that I am less able to handle, in principle I have to be able to handle everything. Gavere was also very tough, for example. There it is a little closer together, there is a little less looking at each other in the background. So I expect a fun and exciting battle.”
Commenting on his new year's eve, van der Poel admits that he was not uptight with the schedules and allowed himself to relax a bit. “I went out for a nice meal and a drink with friends, so it was a success. It's cross season and the belt can't be tense all year round. So I had planned to celebrate New Year's now. I'm happy to be back in Baal. I haven't been there for a long time, but it's a good time to do it," he concludes.
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- A champion turning into a sore loser. Or is he on coke again?
UltimateOpportunist23-12-2024 - If you look at the major races they’ve both been in, van der Poel had the early edge as lately Pogacar has had the advantage. It’s all on procyclingstats.RidesHills23-12-2024
- I wouldn’t assume Tadej can’t win at cross. He did a cross race, not a World Cup, a few years ago and crushed the field. It was a minor race. But he can win anywhere.mij23-12-2024
- I wonder what would happen if Pogacar attacked on the Cipressa instead of the Poggio in San Remo? Would MvdPoel still be able to follow?Ride197423-12-2024
- Debatable?Ride197423-12-2024
- The point is obvious: MVDP can beat Tadej on CX/Road and Tadej cannot. What is so hard to understand???averagecyclist22-12-2024
- Funny... one doper enabler backing the doper he enabled ! Who would have guessed.frieders322-12-2024
- Wouldn’t be here if I wasn’tMistermaumau22-12-2024
- So you're bored, got itvappaxbipmv22-12-2024
- Does everything need to have a point? If so, 99% of the internet should be wiped away. In relation to recent articles with quotes from other riders, my statement points to the ever more obvious reason why they are asked to comment on the effect of his return.Mistermaumau22-12-2024