Hup! Van der Poel wins cross season debut at World Cup in Hulst, Pidcock DNF
Laurens Sweeck takes over series lead
Mathieu van der Poel’s return to cyclocross racing delighted the fans at Sunday’s seventh round of the World Cup in Hulst, the Netherlands, as he powered to victory. It was van der Poel’s first World Cup win since his triumph on the same course in January 3, 2021. Tom Pidcock did not finish after he destroyed his rear wheel in a bell lap crash. In coming runner-up, Laurens Sweeck, the winner of Rounds 4 and 5, assumed the series lead from Eli Iserbyt.
You can watch the 2022-2023 UCI Cyclocross World Cup at FloBikes.
Eli Iserbyt clung tenaciously to the series lead after last week’s round in Overijse where Tom Pidcock haunted winner Michael Vanthourenhout in the Brit’s amazing comeback from early race woes. Mathieu van der Poel was racing his first ‘cross contest of the season.
Pidcock was coming off his first win of the season Saturday in the Kortrijk-Urban Cross round of the X2O Trofee.
Pidcock started on the second row of the grid and van der Poel had to make his way through traffic from the fourth row.
Lars van der Haar earned the hole shot on Lap 1. MdvP was 12th straight away. Sweeck and Iserbyt were close on van der Haar’s wheel. A brilliant inside move put van der Poel into fourth. Then he was second. After taking the lead he almost went over the handlebars.
On Lap 2 van der Poel was at the tail of a group containing van der Haar, Pidcock, Iserbyt, Sweeck and Vanthourenhout. Pidcock led the string with Sweeck tagging along when a gap was forced. Van der Haar and Iserbyt vied for the final podium spot.
Van der Poel joined van der Haar and Iserbyt on Lap 3 of 7, putting in the fastest lap of the race so far. He removed his gloves at the line.
Iserbyt was having difficulties on Lap 4, crashing a couple of times. After they lapped a dude, Van der Poel passed Pidcock and led by five seconds at the line.
Van der Poel started to pry open the gap on Lap 5. Pidcock put Sweeck in his rear view mirror.
Van der Poel’s crash on the penultimate lap allowed Pidcock to close in. When he heard the bell, the Dutchman held a 12-second advantage.
The fans hollered van der Poel around the final circuit as his lead grew. Tom Pidcock crashed into the barriers and tacoed his rear wheel. He had a long way to trot, thought better of it and quit the race.
The next World Cup is next Sunday in Antwerp. Wout Van Aert will be there…
2022-2023 UCI Cyclocross World Cup, Round 7, Hulst
1) Mathieu van der Poel (The Netherlands/Alpecin-Deceuninck) 57:09
2) Laurens Sweeck (Belgium/Crelan-Fristads) +0:15
3) Eli Iserbyt (Belgium/Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal) +0:22
