"This isn't new anymore, is it?" - Belgian national coach's reaction to Mathieu van der Poel's comeback

Mathieu van der Poel's dominance in cyclocross is only challenged by a few riders, however with Wout van Aert absent and Tom Pidcock having a bad start, he had a solo field day this Saturday in Herentals, which has been heavily talked about back in Belgium.

“He is simply a phenomenon in all areas. So no, I'm not really surprised when it comes to Mathieu," Eric Braes, DS at Baloise - Trek Lions, shared with Wielerflits. "I think the fact that he went so fast that first round has to do with his personality. This is what he likes to do, the cross is a playground for him. He also has the quality to be there straight away, something that almost all other riders do not have.”

Despite it being his first race of the season, the Dutchman had the explosivity and the form to make the difference right away in the tough circuit. “I only saw the first lap, but that was actually more than enough. For me, that was in line with what most of the peloton had expected," Belgian national coach Sven Vanthourenhout shared.

However, it was not much of a surprise for him as the level of the 'big three' of cyclocross is very high and difficult to match usually by the seasoned pros. "I personally wasn't shocked by his level. You just felt that he was going to start at a high level. So I'm not surprised. In the meantime, this isn't new anymore, is it? We know how good Mathieu is, it is already the umpteenth year that he has done this."

"Every year there is an insinuation somewhere that 'the rest will lean closer to Mathieu van der Poel, Wout van Aert and Tom Pidcock', but that has been completely swept off the table in Herentals. This happens every year and so nothing is new," he concludes, perhaps in a harsh but realistic conclusion when it comes to the spectacle of battles for victory for the upcoming weeks.