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Van Aert world cyclocross champion in thrilling comeback performance

Belgian Wout Van Aert came back from a tangle with main rival Mathieu Van der Poel (The Netherlands) to win his first elite men's world championship in an engrossing contest in Heusden-Zolder, Belgium on Sunday.

Wout van Aert
January 31, 2016
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Belgian Wout Van Aert came back from a tangle with main rival Mathieu Van der Poel (The Netherlands) to win his first elite men’s world championship in an engrossing contest in Heusden-Zolder, Belgium on Sunday. Van der Poel, the favourite going into the day, crumbled on the final lap after his own brave comeback.

Earlier in the day, Under-23 Czech Adam Toupalik suffered the embarrassment of celebrating what he thought was a world championship a lap early, but recovered to sprint for the gold against Belgian Eli Iserbyt in a thrilling finish. Iserbyt claimed the rainbow jersey and could celebrate for real. Another Belgian, Quinten Hermans, rounded out the podium. After only a bronze to show from the first day, it was encouraging for the home crowd to see two Belgians on the steps. Canadian Issac Niles was 51st.

The elite men charged off after the gun with Belgian Laurens Sweeck leading into the first turn but Van Aert soon taking over the front. On the first lap five riders separated themselves, Dutchmen Van der Poel and Lars Van der Haar accounted for. At the major hill, Van der Poel nabbed the lead with Van Aert and Van der Haar able to go with him. The trio came across the finish line together having ridden the first of eight laps at 24.5-km an hour.

Would a rider in the quintet behind be able to make the junction to the leaders a la Thalita de Jong on Saturday? Van Aert accelerated to drop the Dutch, creating a gap. Kevin Pauwels (Belgium) seemed to be coming closer before his compatriot hit the gas. At the start of Lap 3 the orange-clad riders reached Van Aert. Just as Pauwels brought a Belgian reinforcement, Van der Haar pitted to get a new bike, and then Sweeck rolled closer.

As Van Aert continued to lead, Pauwels fell back. Van der Haar powered over the finish line at the end of Lap 3 to make sure Pauwels, Sweeck and Sven Nys didn’t give the Belgians the numbers. However, soon it was a Lowlands sixpack of four Belgians and two Dutchmen. Nys, in his final world championships, was the engine of the train on Lap 4. Sweeck dropped off a little on the series of hills.

At the beginning of Lap 5, Van der Poel’s brother David nosed closer to the reformed sextet. With the addition of the second Van der Poel and Belgian Tom Meeusen, the pace knocked off and three of the five Belgians pitted. Van Aert and Van der Poel then tangled on a tight corner, with the Dutchman getting his foot stuck in Van Aert’s front wheel. Van der Haar chose the muck-up to bolt on the others. The two favourites turned themselves inside out to catch up.

Mathieu Van der Poel was the one who suffered the most from the crash. Meanwhile, his compatriot led into Lap 6. Pauwels, Nys, Van Aert and David Van der Poel were the closest to Van der Haar, who had to concentrate on keeping a 11-second lead.

At the start of the penultimate lap Van der Haar was 11-seconds ahead of Van Aert and 20-seconds over Nys. Mathieu Van der Poel was finished as a contender for gold, but started making his way through the field. Van der Haar took a new bike which gave Van Aert a chance to catch up. Behind, Mathieu Van der Poel, Nys and Pauwels scrapped for the bronze.

On the bell lap Van Aert led with Van der Haar glued to his rear wheel, and Mathieu pulled himself into the bronze position. The gold skirmish at the sharp end of the race was epic. Van der Haar overtook the Belgian in a brilliant and bold downhill corner move but Van Aert retook the lead and distanced the Dutchman on the next climb.

With all attention on World Cup winner Van Aert taking the gold, Van der Poel mysteriously fell off the pace and Kevin Pauwels nabbed his fourth bronze. The top three was an exact copy of the 2015-2016 World Cup standings.

Aaron Schooler was top Canadian in 40th, 7:14 in arrears.
2016 UCI Cyclocross Elite Men’s World Championship
1) Wout Van Aert (Belgium) 1:05:52
2) Lars Van der Haar (The Netherlands) +0:05
3) Kevin Pauwels (Belgium) +0:35
40) Aaron Schooler (Canada) +7:14
42) Jeremy Martin (Canada) -1 lap
45) Michael Van den Ham (Canada) -1 lap
51) Cameron Jette (Canada) -2 laps
57) Mark McConnell (Canada) -3 laps