Grandeur at World Gravel Championship: Mathieu van der Poel adds new world title to palmares after impressive race

After Marianne Vos' resounding victory on Saturday, Sunday, it was time for the men's edition of the World Gravel Championship. In Halle, the riders, consisting of more than three hundred men, were ready for their title fight at noon. Thereby - just like the cross - some nervousness was involved, knowing how important those first kilometers would be to get out of the mass.

Hence, it wasn't surprising that the cyclocross riders took control until the first 180-degree turn. The first twenty or so riders managed to get through, but behind them, the pace slowed. The last riders were forced to run, which led to some immediate separation.

At that point, about thirty riders took their positions in peloton one, including big names like Van der Poel, Stuyven, Mohoric, Gianni Vermeersch, Quinten Hermans, and veterans like Jan Bakelants and Greg Van Avermaet. Stimulated by the Dutch top favorite, the front group was reduced to seven not much later: Vermeerschen, Stuyven, Mohoric, Tiesj Benoot, and the surprising Kevin Panhuyzen snuck along.

However, always-hungry-for-more, Van der Poel from Kapellen gave it another spin. With 115 kilometers to go, fifteen kilometers further than Tadej Pogacar in Zurich last week, Van der Poel suddenly raced solo in front. That was pretty hefty, the Dutchman realized. He allowed about fifteen other riders to return, including teammates Kielich and Meurisse and Vermeersch and Hermans. Benoot had to let go at that point due to a flat tire.

With these riders, we cut to the pre-final, which consisted of two local loops in and around Leuven: Van der Poel, Mohoric, Vermeersch, Vermeersch, Stuyven, Lawrence Naesen, Matevz Govekar, Rick Ottema, Tim Merlier, Hermans, Meurisse, Kielich, Toon Aerts, Jonas Lindberg, Panhuyzen, and Connor Swift. At that point, the first chasers had to give in over a minute.

We maintained a status quo for a while, but Van der Poel ended it with another attack sixty kilometers from the finish. With this, he once again battered the group; only Mohoric, Stuyven, Hermans, Swift, Gianni, and Florian Vermeersch had an answer ready. So they passed with seven at the second-to-last passage at the finish line in Leuven.

Then, the poker could begin, and the men of Alpecin-Deceuninck especially showed themselves. Stuyven and F. Vermeersch, as Belgians, already foiled G. Vermeersch and Hermans, who related more to Van der Poel than their compatriots. The Dutchman, in turn, had already closed the gap to the 2022 world champion once, but in the end, it all came down to the final lap.

In it, F. Vermeersch attacked 35 kilometers from the finish, to which the top favorite of the orange reacted cleverly. In no time, the two had a half-a-minute advantage while the bunch behind them was already paralyzed. Van der Poel and Vermeersch understood this from the front and accelerated well together.

That proved the decisive move, as they quickly realized in the chasing group that a third place remained. At the front, Van der Poel decided not to wait and instead took advantage of a little hill thirteen kilometers from the finish to attack solo.