The Dutchman signs his first race of the season in Namur, Nys finishes second. On Saturday he finds Van Aert in Antwerp
Still running in, but an immediate winner. Mathieu Van der Poel signed his first cyclocross commitment of the season by winning the world cup race in Namur, Belgium, in the season in which he will go after his eighth world title in Hulst, Holland, on February 1st. Van der Poel also crashed during the race but still managed to get the better of all his rivals, starting with the Belgian Thibau Nys, second (and in turn crashing in a hot moment). For Van der Poel, in the end, 9″ on Nys and 11″ on the other Belgian Vanthourenhout who completed the podium. Now the Dutchman from Alpecin will race on Saturday in Antwerp, where he will also meet his long-time rival Wout Van Aert.