Results World Cup Hoogerheide | Mathieu van der Poel seals record-breaking 51st World Cup win after solo exhibition
Cyclocross
The men’s World Cup race in Hoogerheide concluded with a moment of history as Mathieu van der Poel powered to his 51st career World Cup victory, moving clear of Sven Nys to stand alone as the most successful rider in the competition’s history.
Van der Poel’s win was never in doubt once he made his move in the second lap. After allowing the opening exchanges to unfold, the world champion reacted instantly to an acceleration by Tibor Del Grosso, bridged across in seconds, and then rode decisively clear.
Within a lap, the race had taken on a familiar shape, with Van der Poel alone at the front and the rest of the field already forced into damage limitation.
From there, the contest became an exhibition. Van der Poel continued to extend his advantage almost without visible effort, floating through the technical sections and over the barriers as his lead passed forty seconds, then fifty, and eventually more than a minute. Even as the chase behind him repeatedly reorganised and collapsed, the gap at the front only grew.
Chaotic chase finally resolves late
While Van der Poel disappeared up the road, the fight for the remaining podium places remained unresolved for much of the race. A large chasing group repeatedly formed and reformed, with Thibau Nys, Toon Aerts, Niels Vandeputte, Joris Nieuwenhuis, Felipe Orts and others all taking turns near the front without managing to impose lasting order.
Only in the final lap did clarity begin to emerge. Del Grosso launched a committed attack, with Nieuwenhuis initially following, before Nys ignited the battle for second place with a long, early sprint. That effort briefly split the group, but the elastic snapped back once more, and Nys was reeled in before the line.
In the final metres, it was Del Grosso who timed his effort best, securing second place ahead of Aerts, while Nys was forced to settle just off the podium after animating much of the late fight.
A record ride, sealed in style
Up front, none of that mattered. Van der Poel crossed the line alone to complete a dominant display and secure a landmark victory. His 51st World Cup win moved him beyond Sven Nys, whose record of 50 victories had stood as the benchmark for a decade.
It was a fitting way to close the Hoogerheide World Cup and a season in which Van der Poel has repeatedly rewritten expectations. This time, the number itself told the story.
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
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 3visitors 2
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
1 Comments