Paris (AFP)

Alone in the world in the mud of the Dübendorf air base, Mathieu van der Poel won his third world title in cyclo-cross on Sunday, the first of the objectives of a season that promises to be very rich for the Dutchman.

In the discipline of his beginnings, the grandson of Raymond Poulidor killed the suspense from the first of the seven laps of the circuit. To sign his 24th success ... in 25 races, proof of a total grip despite the opposition of Belgian specialists.

Before devoting himself to his other 2020 objectives, the spring classics on the road and then the Tokyo Olympics mountain bike race, the Dutchman delivered a recital. He took the first corner in the lead and quickly outdistanced his opponents to count more than a minute ahead of the halfway point.

"This is one of my best races," appreciated + VDP +. "I wanted to attack right away because, with the mud, it would have been difficult to go back up if I had found myself behind."

"I felt very strong," added the Dutchman who, at the age of 25, won his third elite title, after those of 2015 and 2019.

- Meet the classics -

Present in five in the first hunting group, the runners of the Belgian armada wiped a second snub before the half-race when they had to let go towards the silver medal Tom Pidcock, the 2019 world champion and first British to take the elite podium.

Representatives of the cyclo-cross king country ran ... for the bronze medal, which went to Toon Aerts. The worst result for Belgium since 2008 and third place for Sven Nys, whose son, Thibau, won the junior title on Sunday morning.

"I am very disappointed. It is the first time that I have not been on the podium," reacted van Aert, delayed by a puncture. "I would have liked to fight with Toon Aerts until the end".

Van Aert, triple world champion (2016, 2017, 2018) and long time great rival of van der Poel, will find him on other grounds. An appointment is made for the spring classics that the Dutch started to tackle last year (winner of the Amstel Gold Race and 4th in the Tour of Flanders).

Also from a cycling family (his father Adrie won the world title in cyclo-cross and his mother Corinne is the daughter of Poulidor), van der Poel will notably discover Paris-Roubaix in mid-April. Before riding his mountain bike to tackle the Olympic gold, it is true that the appetite of the Dutch sportsman number one in 2019 seems insatiable.

© 2020 AFP