"That was the best Mathieu I've ever seen in cross" - Richard Groenendaal's big praise for Van der Poel after 7th World Championship win

There is now no one in the history of cyclocross with more Rainbow Jerseys that Mathieu van der Poel. Last weekend in Lievin, the Dutchman powered to a dominant win at the 2025 World Championships and according to Dutch cyclocross legend Richard Groenendaal, his compatriot may currently be at his very best level ever.

After the last-minute announcement of Wout van Aert's participation, many had expected a much closer battle in Lievin. As it turned out though, the best the Belgian could hope for was a distant second behind his long-time rival. "I didn't expect it to be exciting. I had seen him (Van der Poel ed.) ride in Maasmechelen and Hoogerheide. I was particularly impressed in Maasmechelen," reflects the 2000 World Championship winner Groenendaal on the podcast De Cross. 

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Just because Groenendaal expected Van der Poel to be dominant, doesn't make him any less impressed by his fellow Dutchman's performance though. That was the best Mathieu I've ever seen in cross," he comments firmly, noting changes in Van der Poel's style of racing over the recent winters. "The frivolity, the playing and the challenging are no longer there at all. It has just become purely business-like. Certainly at the World Championship. Apparently he ran up the stairs like a lunatic on the first lap. Then followed a descent and climb. He was already fifteen seconds ahead."

To prove his point, the Dutchman compares 2025 Van der Poel to the versions of 2018 and 2019. "He was still thinner and a bit less strong then," he explains. "Back then, technical ingenuity was even more important, but nowadays he immediately compensates for every half steering error with power. That power is really enormous. You can see that when he rides past. He really rides two or three gears bigger than the rest."

"There was no other scenario than this, you know," concludes Groenendaal's assessment of Van der Poel's dominant World Championship win.

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