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Back to back World Cup wins for Mathieu van der Poel

Aerts keeps series lead after fourth round in Czech Republic

European champion Mathieu van der Poel kept up his string of wins with a triumph in Saturday’s fourth round of the UCI World Cup in Tabor, Czech Republic. The World Cup title holder, Van der Poel took the lead on the second of nine laps in a display of domination. Going into the race Belgian Toon Aerts had the series lead after winning the opening rounds in the U.S.A. and placing third in Bern, where van der Poel was the victor. A fourth place allowed Aerts to keep the lead.

Tabor had been a blessed place for van der Poel over the years.

Van der Poel seized the hole shot. Would the corner that tripped up so many of the elite women also vex the elite men? Yes. It was chaos. Van der Poel, world champion Wout Van Aert and Aerts were the engines at the front of the long line, with most of the riders of the set able to stay on their machines over the barriers. Toon Aerts led the bunch over the line clocking 7:11 on Lap 1.

The multicoloured snake continued to slither intact around the course for most of Lap 2 until Aerts lost second position after making a mistake. Van der Poel pounced into the front spot and dropped the hammer. Belgian Michael Vanthourenhout was the closest pursuer, 19-seconds behind at the end of Lap 3 of 9.

Vanthourenhout separated himself from the other chasers on Lap 4 but by Lap 5 had Lars van der Haar and Daan Soete for company. But for the last three laps Vanthourenhout and van der Haar were van der Poel’s closest pursuers.

Van der Poel won by 14-seconds. Vanthourenhout and van der Haar battled it out for the podium position on the last lap. Van der Haar’s error at the barriers made the difference. It was Vanthourenhout’s second World Cup podium of the season. He was third at Jinglecross.

Next Sunday the riders face round five’s sand dunes at Koksijde, Belgium.

2018-2019 UCI Cyclocross World Cup, Round 4, Tabor, Elite Men
1) Mathieu van der Poel (The Netherlands) 1:02:43
2) Michael Vanthourenhout (Belgium) +0:14
3) Lars van der Haar (The Netherlands) 0:20