"We knew for a long time that Van der Poel was the strongest" - Thibau Nys forced to settle for 3rd in Gavere
Cyclocross
For the third time in three appearances this winter, Mathieu van der Poel took a dominant victory on Boxing Day in Gavere. Behind the world champion though, an intense battle between Michael Vanthourenhout and Thibau Nys took place for the 2nd spot on the podium.
In the end, former European champion Vanthourenhout held off the challenge of the current European champion Nys, despite the latter making a huge effort on the final lap to close the gap. "We knew for a long time that Van der Poel was the strongest and that it would be difficult," reflected Nys in his post-race interview. "But it is a pity that I could not secure second place. I felt the second or third strongest in the race today."
"I had my good and bad parts of the course. That climb suited me very well, also the part after that towards the second pits. After that I had a few bad spots where I had difficulty getting a grip on the rear wheel. Then it's difficult to make the connection," the Belgian added. "But I'm satisfied, on to tomorrow."
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| 01 | van der Poel Mathieu | - | 01:05:29 |
| 02 | Vanthourenhout Michael | - | + 26 |
| 03 | Nys Thibau | - | + 41 |
| 04 | van der Haar Lars | - | + 55 |
| 05 | Verstrynge Emiel | - | + 01:32 |
| 06 | Vandeputte Niels | - | + 01:48 |
| 07 | Del Grosso Tibor | - | + 01:50 |
| 08 | Mason Cameron | - | + 01:52 |
| 09 | Wyseure Joran | - | + 02:06 |
| 10 | Aerts Toon | - | + 02:24 |
| 11 | Van Kessel Corne | - | + 02:41 |
| 12 | Ronhaar Pim | - | + 02:46 |
| 13 | Boros Michael | - | + 02:50 |
| 14 | Vandebosch Toon | - | + 03:06 |
| 15 | Mein Thomas | - | + 03:18 |
| 16 | Menut David | - | + 03:23 |
| 17 | Adams Jens | - | + 03:28 |
| 18 | Michels Jente | - | + 03:55 |
| 19 | Orts Lloret Felipe | - | + 04:16 |
| 20 | Hendrikx Mees | - | + 04:31 |
| 21 | Thomas Théo | - | + 04:42 |
| 22 | Ackert Ian | - | + 05:05 |
| 23 | Bertolini Gioele | - | + 05:20 |
| 24 | Reculeau Nicolas | - | + 05:34 |
| 25 | Bommenel Nathan | - | + 05:43 |
| 26 | Kuhn Kevin | - | + 05:50 |
| 27 | Holmgren Gunnar | - | + 05:53 |
| 28 | Remijn Senna | - | + 05:57 |
| 29 | Sommer Lars | - | + 05:59 |
| 30 | Kamp Ryan | - | + 06:02 |
| 31 | van den Eijnden Guus | - | + 06:16 |
| 32 | Funston Scott | - | + 06:33 |
| 33 | Rodriguez Novoa Miguel | - | + 06:52 |
| 34 | Meisen Marcel | - | + 06:59 |
| 35 | Ananie Ugo | - | + 07:06 |
Mathieu van der Poel does it again 👏
— UCI Cyclocross (@UCI_CX) December 26, 2024
Men Elite 🥇 and two from two @UCIcyclocrossWC
What he said 👉 "It was getting harder and harder every lap and I was making a lot of mistakes so I was getting annoyed at myself and I was happy to cross the finish line!" #CXWorldCup #FLCS pic.twitter.com/WgptTXLSNH
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.
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