Mathieu van der Poel prevails in big three battle at Gavere World Cup
Wout van Aert takes second and world champion Tom Pidcock third
Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) on his way to winning Gavere CX World Cup Dec. 26. Photo/Getty Images
Mathieu van der Poel took first ahead of Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) by 27 seconds at Gavere World Cup. Photo/Getty Images
Top three at Gavere CX World Cup from left to right, Wout van Aert (Jumbo Visma) took second, Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) was first and Tom Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers) claimed third. Photo/Getty Images
Wout van Aert (Jumbo Visma) crosses the line 27 seconds behind his long-time rival, Mathieu van der Poel. Photo/Getty Images
Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) came out on top in a battle of the 'big three' at the UCI World Cup in Gavere to take his third win of the season.
The Dutchman beat out long-time rival Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) in a back-and-forth race, with the Belgian taking second at 27 seconds. World champion Tom Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers) rounded out the podium at 54 seconds.
"I just really wanted to win. Like I said in Mol [second place – Ed.] I wasn't really satisfied. I was determined to do a good result today," Van der Poel said after his win.
"I think a lot of factors. I think this course is really hard and also technical. I think for me at least it was a pretty nice race. I enjoyed it, lots of people, and I'm happy with my victory."
Van der Poel had hit the front of the race along with Pidcock inside the first two minutes of the race, though it wouldn't be a straightforward win for the Dutchman, even if Van Aert was stuck further back after the start.
"Actually, for me, I never felt like being in the mix for victory today," Van Aert said. "From the start, I was chasing. I was never in the rhythm I wanted to have. I must be happy today with second place. It was the highest possible for me.
"It was still a really nice day out. There were so many crowds, and it was like a World Championships atmosphere. Even though the legs weren’t really responding from the beginning, I still fought because of the fans and yeah, it was a really nice ’cross race."
He and Pidcock made their way into the lead two spots through the opening lap, while Van Aert eventually battled his way through the pack into third place. But early on lap two, it was Pidcock solo in the lead after Van der Poel suffered a puncture.
The Briton enjoyed a 10-second lead heading into lap three as Van der Poel and Van Aert co-operated in the chase. He wouldn't be racing off into the distance, though, as his decision to ride up the mid-lap hill while his rivals ran saw him shed time and – on the third lap – lose his lead as the two chasers caught back up.
"I'm maybe a little bit disappointed," Pidcock said after the race. "It was a very heavy race. The last few laps I really felt it, especially during the running sections. I was struggling to clip back in afterwards. Just not strong enough, really.
When asked if he thought he could win, Pidcock said the thought crossed his mind when he caught Van der Poel.
"But then, like I said, on the running sections, my bike was getting heavier and heavier every lap. It felt like I was carrying a car on my shoulder. I wish my bike had an engine, like a car. In the last few laps, my legs fell off a bit."
It wasn't long before Van der Poel was out in front on his own again, the former four-time world champion edging away from Van Aert and Pidcock to go solo.
At the start of lap four of six, Van der Poel was 15 seconds up the road, though the chasing pair were able to close to within a handful of seconds as they looked to set up a big, late battle for the win.
Pidcock did manage to make it across briefly, though Van der Poel discovered a second wind late on to distance both him and Van Aert for good. Pidcock faded late to cede second place to Van Aert, while outside the 'big three' battle it was Michael Vanthourenhout (Pawels Sauzen-Bingoal) who was best of the rest, albeit almost two minutes down.
Thank you for reading 5 articles in the past 30 days*
Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read any 5 articles for free in each 30-day period, this automatically resets
After your trial you will be billed £4.99 $7.99 €5.99 per month, cancel anytime. Or sign up for one year for just £49 $79 €59
Join now for unlimited access
Try your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Dani Ostanek is Senior News Writer at Cyclingnews, having joined in 2017 as a freelance contributor and later being hired full-time. Prior to joining the team, they had written for numerous major publications in the cycling world, including CyclingWeekly and Rouleur.
Dani has reported from the world's top races, including the Tour de France, World Championships, and the spring Classics. They have interviewed many of the sport's biggest stars, including Mathieu van der Poel, Remco Evenepoel, Demi Vollering, and Anna van der Breggen.
As well as original reporting, news and feature writing, and production work, Dani also oversees How to Watch guides and works on The Leadout newsletter throughout the season. Their favourite races are Strade Bianche and Paris-Roubaix and their favourite published article is from the 2024 edition of the latter: 'Unless I'm in an ambulance, I'm finishing this race' – Cyrus Monk, the last man home at Paris-Roubaix
Latest on Cyclingnews
-
Giro d'Italia stage 3 Live - The sprinters' first dance
166km from Novara to Fossano will be the first showing for the fast men -
Eddie Dunbar pulls out of the Giro d'Italia after crashing on stage 2
Irishman won't start third stage due to a 'sustained injury under his right kneecap and bodily abrasions' -
Women's WorldTour – The definitive guide for 2024
Everything you need to know about the professional racing series teams, points, races and standings -
'I was not at my very best level but I fought hard’ – Longo Borghini still satisfied after La Vuelta Femenina third
GC podium performance shifts Italian champion into Women’s WorldTour lead after strong run through spring