Van der Poel goes 10 for 10 this season at World Cup in Zonhoven

Mathieu van der Poel extended his season winning streak to ten races in Sunday’s eleventh round of the World Cup in sandy Zonhoven, the final Belgian round of the 2023-2024 series. On a chilly day, the world champion also stretched his all-around win steak to 13 races. By coming second Joris Nieuwenhuis yanked himself closer to Eli Iserbyt at the top of the table with two rounds remaining. Ian Ackert was top Canadian in 32nd.

The Situation Before Sunday

Iserbyt had been sick recently, and he didn’t sound confident before the start. He led the Baloise Trek Lions trio of Nieuwenhuis, Pim Ronhaar and Lars van der Haar by 35, 37 and 38 points respectively. Of the Big Three, only van der Poel was in Zonhoven. “We’ll be racing for second,” van der Haar admitted in a pre-race interview. Ian Ackert and Cody Scott represented Canada.

Iserbyt decided to approach the race head-on, taking the lead soon after the start on Lap 1, but Laurens Sweeck showed his interest by slipping by the series leader. Nieuwenhuis dived around Sweeck’s outside to grab the reins. In the latter half of the first circuit, van der Poel moved into Position 2. Nieuwenhuis, van der Poel and Sweeck formed a leading trio. Iserbyt and four others were 9 seconds in arrears.

At the start of Lap 2 of 8, Iserbyt dropped back in his group, one that included Ronhaar and van der Haar. Ronhaar tried to sew up the gap and brought Toon Vandebosche over to make a quintet. On a long sandy run-up, Iserbyt’s efforts created a longer string. Ackert was 38th and Scott 51st.

A Baloise Trek Lions and Crelan-Corendon-heavy octet was at the business end of the race at the start of Lap 3. Ronhaar took over engine duties in the train. Iserbyt once more had to catch up.

Right at the start of Lap 4, van der Poel powered to the front. Immediately he had pried open a big gap. Niewenhuis, drool in his beard, was the closest chaser at 13 seconds by the line.

Sweeck found Nieuwenhuis at the beginning of Lap 5. Ronhaar and Vandebosche made up the next chase group, but the two duos linked up to make a quartet 31 seconds behind the man in the rainbow jersey. With World Cup points crucial at this point of the series, top-of-the-table Iserbyt was seventh going into the penultimate lap.

As MvdP galloped along 40 seconds clear on the penultimate lap, Nieuwenhuis had to worry about the two Crelan-Corendon riders jumping him for those precious runner-up points. Vandebosche biffed at the top of the long sand downhill, AKA de kuil. Iserbyt moved up to sixth.

The true contest of the bell lap took place 35 seconds behind van der Poel. Anything but second place would disappoint Nieuwenhuis. Ronhaar had to make up ground. Nieuwenhuis prevailed and Iserbyt kept his sixth place.

The next round is on January 21 in Benidorm, Spain.

2023-2024 UCI World Cup, Round 12, Zonhoven
1) Mathieu van der Poel (The Netherlands/Alpecin-Deceuninck) 59:23
2) Joris Nieuwenhuis (The Netherlands/Baloise Trek Lions) +0:20
3) Laurens Sweeck (Belgium/Crelan-Corendon) +0:22
32) Ian Ackert (Canada)
50) Cody Scott (Canada)