The Telenet UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup series wrapped up in Hoogerheide on Sunday with Sanne Cant and Mathieu van der Poel claiming overall titles in the nine-round series. Van der Poel won with a total of 695 points, while Cant secured her title with 608 points.
Van der Poel had a stellar season, winning the first four rounds in Iowa City and Waterloo, both in the US, and then back in Europe in Koksijde and Bogense. He then lost round five after a decisive mechanical and round six while ill, both to Wout Van Aert, but showed his top form again during the last three rounds, winning Heusden-Zolder, Nommay and Hoogerheide.
Van der Poel told Sport.be that he is prepared and will be a top contender for the world title at the UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships in Valkenburg next weekend.
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"That is the most important thing this week: staying healthy, not falling on training, quietly preparing for that World Championship," said van der Poel, who won the world title in 2015. "I know that I am the big favorite, but that does not bother me anymore, I already have 26 victories in my pocket. I admit that the World Cup is marked with dots and I would be disappointed at loss, but okay, I still have always a fresh feeling, my training was well over the past few weeks and so I do not have to worry."
It's no surprise that when van der Poel was not on the top step of the podium during the World Cup series, Van Aert was right there to take the win. The two-time elite men's world champion (2016 and 2017) had a slow start to this season and questioned his form, but he built some confidence after winning two rounds of the World Cup in Zeven and Namur. Three runner-up places at Bogense, Nommay and Hoogerheide, along with a third places at Koksijde and Heusden-Zolder helped secure him 585 points.
Only one week away from his world title defense, Van Aert was not concerned about his second place, eight seconds back, to van der Poel in Hoogerheide, blaming that performance on a bad start. "I still had a lot of strength in the end," he told Sport.be. "That was not always the case in other races and I'm happy with that, I'm mostly working on that for the world championships, less with today's race, as I did not expect much from it after my heavy training week. It went better than expected.
You can read more at Cyclingnews.com
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