Toon! Belgian champion wins World Cup at final round in Hoogerheide
Van der Poel wins six of the nine rounds
For the last couple of seasons, men’s elite cyclocross has been dominated by Mathieu van der Poel and Wout Aerts. But on Sunday, Toon Aerts broke the stranglehold, winning the 2018-2019 World Cup by coming second to van der Poel in the final round in cold, windy, muddy Hoogerheide, the Netherlands. Aerts won the first two rounds in the U.S.A. and was on the podium five times in the series.
After 9 races @ToAerts brings home the Telenet UCI World Cup with a fabulous 2nd spot in Hoogerheide ??? pic.twitter.com/JTc14naX4M
— Telenet Baloise Lions (@Telenet_Baloise) January 27, 2019
Although Marianne Vos had wrapped up the elite women’s title last week in Pont-Château, France, the elite men’s World Cup was sitting on a knife edge. Aerts, who had led the standings ever since September, found himself three-points behind Van Aert after Van Aert’s win last Sunday in France. Aerts had to finish ahead of Van Aert on Sunday. Van der Poel was back after taking off round eight to train. Michael Vanthourenhout, third in Pont-Château, was out because of a bad allergic reaction to something he ate. Cameron Jette was the lone Canadian.
Quinten Hermans took the hole shot and Van Aert had to pit early. Van der Poel, leader of the DVV Trofee and Superprestige series, and new Belgian champion Aerts, assumed the lead with Van Aert leading a chase group. Van Aert et al were only 14-seconds behind after the first muddy 3-km lap. Jette was 63rd.
Van Aert laboured all through Lap 2 to make the junction with van der Poel and Aerts. But Aerts was on a mission: he dropped van der Poel. On Lap 3 of seven, van der Poel and Van Aert chased together.
It’s the first time we have seen Toon Aerts in his Belgian Championships jersey. Indeed, it’s the first time we’ve seen the jersey in a while as it’s been superseded by World Champion and World Cup leader’s jerseys. Given his form right now, it might be superseded again!
?????? pic.twitter.com/DF6mLxZB6D— UCI Cyclocross (@UCI_CX) January 27, 2019
Lap 4 saw van der Poel edge closer to Toon. He caught his man soon after Lap 5 began. Van Aert was 21-seconds back.
On the penultimate lap, Van Aert started to close the gap, moving everyone closer to the edge of their seats. Aerts needed van der Poel to do some work, but the Dutchman attacked. Sixteen seconds separated Aerts from Van Aert. Everyone was exhausted.
Final Lap
Van der Poel led Aerts by 10-second when he heard the bell. Van Aert was 21-seconds in arrears of Aerts.
Van der Poel’s sixth triumph of the series gave him third in the standings, having missed three of the nine rounds.
Aerts’ World Cup title means that Belgium gets another spot in next week’s World Championships in Bogense, Denmark.
Jette placed 62nd.
2018-2019 UCI Cyclocross World Cup, Round Nine, Hoogerheide, the Netherlands, Elite Men
1) Mathieu van der Poel (The Netherlands/Corendon-Circus) 1:01:30
2) Toon Aerts (Belgium/Telenet Fidea Lions) +0:13
3) Wout Van Aert (Belgium) +0:31
62) Cameron Jette (Canada)
