Youth run wild in Tabor as men’s elite gold and silver winners are U23s

Two precocious riders–Dutchman Mathieu Van der Poel and Belgian Wout Van Aert–who made the decision to race the elite men’s race instead of the U23 took first and second respectively in Sunday’s final event of the UCI world cyclocross championships in Tabor, Czech Republic. In the U23 men’s race, Belgian Michael Vanthourenhout mounted a fine comeback to take the title.

Vanthourenhout was in ninth place for the first two laps, with home favourite Jakub Skala in the lead on an icy surfaced course. But as the sun turned the ground to peanut butter, Vanthourenhout, one of the happiest people that Van der Poel and Van Aert moved up on Sunday, clawed his way through the field after switching to better tires. He stayed ahead of silver winner Laurens Sweeck (Belgium) and fellow countryman Stan Godrie to grab the title. Sole Canadian Danick Vandale placed 46th.

Mathieu Van der Poel, who took the final World Cup win in Hoogerheide last weekend, has a fine pedigree. His father Adri won the Worlds in 1996 and his grandfather is Raymond Poulidor, the beloved French road cyclist “Poupou”, who had the misfortune of racing in both the Jacques Anquetil and Eddy Merckx eras.

Van der Poel spurted ahead on the first lap with three Belgian–Tom Meeusen, Van Aert and Serge Pauwels–chasing 8-seconds back. Lars van der Haar (The Netherlands) and Klaas Vantornout (Belgium) were 15-seconds in arrears.

Pauwels and Van Aert caught up to van der Poel on lap two but Van Aert’s mechanical dropped him back with Vantornout. Meanwhile, Van der Poel was bunny-hopping the barriers, or at least the first one. By the end of lap 3 VdP led Pauwels and VdH by 11 seconds with Meeusen 19 seconds back. Canadian Aaron Schooler was 39th, and Garrigan 54th after three circuits.

Lap 4 saw Pauwels begins to reel in VdP but the elastic stretched again with the Dutchman climbing to a 18-second lead. Van der Haar finally came around Pauwels on lap 5. VdH was 11 secs behind VdP, who was tiring and rounding hairpin turns with fatigued aplomb.

Masters riders everywhere will try to nail the van der Poel drag next season. pic.twitter.com/Aof7qQmUCI

— Canadian Cycling Mag (@CDNCyclingMag) February 1, 2015

Lap 6 was the setting for Van der Haar to keep reeling in his compatriot. Van Aert joined Pauwels in the bronze position and then went straight by him. There were 10-seconds separating the Dutchmen at the pointy end of the race and the Belgians 28-seconds behind.

Van Aert opened a sizeable gap on Pauwels on the penultimate lap. In front of him VdH’s effort was flagging. However, the gap from gold to silver was still 11-seconds to begin the final lap.

Van Aert pressed Van der Haar and came by the Dutchman in a corner to grab the silver. Up front, Mathieu van der Poel had plenty of time to celebrate becoming the first Dutch champion since Lars Boom in 2008. After he had been sponged off he talked to the press about contesting the elite championship: “It was the best choice of my life so far. It was very difficult but I had confidence from last week. It’s going to be awesome to ride in that jersey.”

Exhausted but crowned. Mathieu van der Poel with father Arie. New UCI Elite Men’s World Champion! #CXTabor pic.twitter.com/8JwOjBhzuD

— UCI_Cyclocross (@UCI_CX) February 1, 2015

One anticipates a fierce rivalry between Van der Poel and Van Aert into the 2020s.

Top Canadian was Aaron Schooler at 36th with -1 lap. Forty-second place Mark McConnell finished 2 laps down and Canadian champion Mike Garrigan was -4 laps in the 49th spot.

Elite men’s world cyclocross champioships results