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Mathieu Van der Poel (Netherlands) secured an elite males’s record-equalling seventh UCI Cyclo-cross World Championship title following a commanding experience in Liévin.
Arch rival Wout van Aert (Belgium) suffered a first-lap crash whereas attempting to succeed in the entrance and was left in second, whereas fellow Belgian Thibau Nys rounded out the rostrum in third.
Van der Poel has now matched Eric De Vlaeminck historic variety of seven elite males’s world titles and could have the prospect to interrupt that file subsequent 12 months at Hulst on dwelling Netherlands turf.
Dutch rider Marianne Vos holds the all-time file for the variety of elite cyclocross Worlds victories, having received eight elite girls’s cyclocross world titles in her profession.
Van der Poel’s rival Van Aert had the expectation of Belgium on his shoulders, however a fourth-row begin was his undoing.
Van Aert was boxed in from the beginning after which misplaced 46 seconds in a crash, which left him down in thirty seventh.
The big Belgium squad waited for his or her chief, however the harm was carried out as Van der Poel powered away on the opening lap to victory in entrance of an estimated 35,000 spectators.
Van Aert rode a lot of the race chasing alone in second however failed to drag the hole again on his rival.
In the meantime, Nys noticed off a problem from Joris Nieuwenhuis (Netherlands) to say his first elite world championship medal.
However the day belonged to Van der Poel, who had time to rejoice together with his Dutch followers on his option to victory and saluted by making the quantity seven together with his fingers.
“This implies rather a lot; it’s historical past; it was a file that was standing for a really very long time,” stated Van der Poel in a post-race interview with the press.
“Whenever you begin racing within the elite class, you hope to win it as soon as, however you by no means think about to be seven-time world champion. It’s one thing particular.
“We noticed yesterday with the under-23 class which my team-mate Del Grosso received that always the most effective factor to do is to go within the entrance and doing your personal factor.
“Particularly on this course as a result of it was tremendous trick and loads of issues to get into the pedals as effectively, in case you are in a bunch then it’s much more annoying.
“I had a great begin and a super-good feeling. I simply tried to get an enormous hole to discourage the chasers a bit, that labored.
“I used to be instantly quick for the primary few metres earlier than Toon Aerts handed me. I knew the locations the place I wanted to be in entrance to do my very own factor.
“For those who instantly have a pleasant hole, it provides wings for the remainder of the race. From then on I used to be actually scared for a puncture or mechanical.
“I punctured instantly after the primary part, it was fairly lengthy that I needed to experience with a entrance tyre that was flat.
“It value me some vitality and I requested for extra strain in my tyres, simply to make sure. From then I used to be actually cautious.
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