The first cyclocross clash of the winter between Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert delivered exactly what the season promised: intensity, contrast, and a reminder that in CX, momentum and luck matter just as much as raw power.
Van der Poel needed less than five minutes to turn a modest start into total control. Launching from behind the front row, he surged to the head of the race early, stretching the field and forcing immediate selection. Only Tibor del Grosso and Joris Nieuwenhuis could briefly follow, but even that resistance was temporary. Within ten minutes, the elastic snapped.
From there, the race followed a familiar Van der Poel script. Mistakes were minimal, speed was relentless, and the gaps grew methodically. Despite a late puncture inside the final two laps, he still had enough margin to manage the finale comfortably, confirming that last weekend’s sharpener had done its job.
“I don’t think I was the best in the sand today,” Van der Poel admitted afterward. “I made a few mistakes, but the legs felt stronger. Compared to last week, I already felt fresher.”
For Triforge, that’s the key signal: form is trending up, not peaking yet.
Van Aert: Power Without Fortune
For Van Aert, this race told a very different story. A slower opening left him 38 seconds adrift by the midpoint, but what followed was one of the strongest sustained efforts of the day. He reeled in Del Grosso and Nieuwenhuis, shed the remaining chasers, and briefly committed to a solo pursuit of Van der Poel.
Then cyclocross intervened.
A puncture shortly after the first pit sequence ended any realistic podium hopes. The damage wasn’t just time lost; it was rhythm. Van Aert would eventually finish seventh, 51 seconds down, a result that doesn’t reflect the strength he showed on the bike.
“This sport is as hard as it has always been,” Van Aert said. “I suffered from the first minute. I think I was in the mix for the podium, but the flat tire ruined that.”
The explanation was pure CX: a moment of lost focus, a tricky section, and immediate consequences.
A Clearer Hierarchy, For Now
Last weekend’s tight duel with Thibaut Nys hinted at vulnerability. This time, there was none. Nys never entered the conversation, finishing deep in the results after a poor start. Van der Poel, by contrast, looked settled, decisive, and increasingly efficient as the race unfolded.
The numbers underline it. A 10-second lead by lap three. 25 seconds by lap four. Nearly half a minute by halfway. Even accounting for the puncture, the outcome was never in doubt.
Triforge Take
This wasn’t peak Van der Poel. That’s the warning sign for the rest of the field. Early-season sharpness, controlled aggression, and improving freshness point to a rider building toward dominance rather than spending it early.
For Van Aert, the engine is there. The surge proved it. But cyclocross punishes imperfections ruthlessly, and opening races leave little margin for bad luck.
Round one goes to Van der Poel.
The winter, as always, is far from decided.