Mathieu van der Poel returns to ‘cross racing this weekend
Dutch triple-threat superstar back at it in fourth round of Superprestige series
Mathieu van der Poel returns to cyclocross action this Sunday after resting from his first full road season. The Superprestige Ruddervoorde in Belgium is the fourth round of the series; Lars van der Haar is atop the elite men’s Superprestige table despite not having a win in the first three races. Originally van der Poel was slated to start his ‘cross season October 22 at Kiremko Nacht van Woerden, but pushed his season back a couple of weeks.
The Dutch ‘cross world champion won this season’s Amstel Gold Race with a devastating sprint and took Dwars door Vlaanderen and the Tour of Britain to boot. Unfortunately, many fans’ lasting image of him from the road season is his spectacular bonk after leading the UCI Road World Championship race.
Van der Poel is a triple threat, but that proves taxing on the body. After winning May’s round of the mountain bike cross-county World Cup in Nove Mesto, Czech Republic, he skipped the World Championships at Mont-Saint-Anne, the final round of the World Cup and the Tokyo Olympic Games test race.
The 24-year-old Van der Poel has won three World Cups, two World Championships, two DVV Trofees, and four of the last five Superprestige series.
The next round of the World Cup, the first three rounds going to exciting Belgian upstart Eli Iserbyt, is November 16 in Tabor, Czech Republic.
