Cycling: Van der Poel wins his third in a row in three days… and spits on a spectator on the last lap

Mathieu Van der Poel does not understand rest or calmer days in the 2023-24 cyclocross campaign. The Dutch make history, simply. Sum in the Hulst World Cup a new triumph. Nothing new if it weren’t for the fact that she is the third in three consecutive days after the Super prestige of Diegem and the Exact Cross of Loenhout. Another crush and exhibition when he wanted to accelerate and no one in his wake. They are seven out of seven in 2023-24 and are still on track to have the best season ever seen in the mud. Although it ended with controversy, as he spat at a spectator in the last lap.

Hulst was one of those dates marked in red. In addition to being a World Cup, the other two greats participated alongside the world champion, Wout Van Aert – in the last race in the history of the Jumbo-Visma team with that name, as it will be Visma-Lease a Bike from January 1 – and Tom Pidcock. This is how things sounded like a big deal about the circuit in Dutch Flanders and nothing was further from the truth.

In two laps there was no one. A drama for those not named Van der Poel, because in the first corner Pidcock’s option ended. Mechanical problem, last and after riding shoulder to shoulder with the bicycle during several curves I gave up everything. Shortly after it happened to Van Aert. He was not comfortable in a technical slope area and suffered a mechanical problem. Off hook.

Clear path to Van der Poel, who rarely misses the opportunity. He let the others do it for two laps and when Laurens Sweeck and the promising Del Grosso accelerated and decided to follow them while others like Felipe Orts, who was coming off his best day in Loenhout, made the rubber. In the narrow area of ​​the third lap his acceleration arrived. First by technique and then by engine. The KO, like those top boxers. Recital, although he had a smudge, because the last time he spit at a spectator… there is no justification.

He closed another recital alone. The very best in the world, which continues in impressive and incomparable form. Van der Poel raised his arms and his rainbow continues to shine. Niewenhuis and Van der Haar closed the podium. For his part, Felipe Orts did not have as good a day as he did in Loenhout and after losing time with the best he limited losses to be 12th.