Mathieu van der Poel won the Plage Cross Hofstade with force majeure on Monday. The 30-year-old rider from Alpecin-Deceuninck won a cyclocross for the third day in a row. During the ride, smoke from a vape was blown into his face.
The cross in Hofstade, Belgium, was back on the cyclo-cross calendar after 17 years. Van der Poel waited a few laps after the start and then accelerated on the long sand strip. He released his fellow escapee Thibau Nys, who then fell back a bit. Van der Poel crossed the finish line solo.
It was his fourth win in four matches this winter. He was also the strongest in the World Cup race in Antwerp on Saturday and the best in the World Cup race in Koksijde on Sunday. On his return as a cyclo-cross rider last Saturday, he also managed to win.
X2O Trophy
The cross in Hofstade is part of the less appealing X2O Trophy, but this was not noticeable from the starting field and the massive public interest. Almost all the top players were present.
Wout van Aert was the best of the rest on Monday. The Belgian broke away from the group of chasers and rode alone at an appropriate distance from Van der Poel to second place. His deficit was 41 seconds.
Smoke in face
Another striking moment occurred during the ride: a spectator blew the smoke from his vape into the face of the passing Van der Poel. He drove on undisturbed. The rider did not waste any words afterwards. He was actually very satisfied with his performance. “Both the legs and the technique went perfectly. Then cross-country is fun,” said the Brabander at Sporza.
The competitions he cycles are in preparation for the Cyclo-Cross World Championships on February 1 in Hulst. Van der Poel can become cyclo-cross world champion for the eighth time in the Zeeland municipality. He now shares the record with Belgian Erik De Vlaeminck, who also won seven world titles.