"MVDP is often banned from the screen by the TV director after two laps" - Michael Wuyts assumes the cyclocross king is holding back to keep the tension and please sponsors
Cyclocross
Mathieu van der Poel is once again at it. Four wins in a row served merely as a warm-up for the cyclocross king who was not able to find any resistance from the rest of the field also in Loenhoet. On quick look, his victory by 14 seconds in the Exact Cross doesn't look as dominant, but former top-cyclocrosser Michael Wuyts notes that Van der Poel was merely waving a carrot in front of his opponents while also keeping his sponsors on the TV screens for as much time as possible.
"I saw Van der Poel in Zonhoven and realized: experiencing the highest perfection must also be a pure pleasure for him. The difference with the helplessness of pursuer Toon Aerts was big. After one and a half minutes of cross he realized that following was verging on suicide," the cycling commentator opened.
Wuyts does not expect Van der Poel to leave anything behind. "So Van der Poel will continue his destruction campaign and the opponents will have to fight for the national title or rummage through the mouse droppings in February. Don't be too afraid of boredom. Van der Poel will not be in the mood for overwhelming demonstrations everywhere. He would love some playful dueling in Loenhout or keeping illusions alive for a while in Diegem," he almost predicted today's narrative.
"I wonder: how will Mathieu tackle the usually flooded Dendermonde? His back has to hold up, right? Maybe that's where Van Aert's chance of winning lies."
Wuyts also sees a sly Van der Poel, in various ways. "There is more. The soloist Van der Poel is often banned from the screen by the TV director after two laps. A bit sad, but the director prefers to switch to a bit of a battle, for second place. Van der Poel knows very well that he has to serve his sponsors. And how he can get the picture. So he holds back a bit, like in Gavere. MVDP is a professional in everything. Also in feigning tension."
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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