Van der Poel came, saw, and conquered in Zonhoven

The first cyclo-cross race of the season immediately marked the first victory for Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin – Deceuninck). He broke away in the first lap and delivered an impressive solo performance in the "Kuil" of Zonhoven. A strong Thibau Nys (Baloise Trek Lions) joined the world champion on the podium, while Joran Wyseure (Crelan – Corendon) secured a fine third place.

World Cup runner-up Toon Aerts (Deschacht – Hens-FSP) had the best start and was the first to enter the corner. As they descended into the Kuil, world champion Mathieu van der Poel immediately showcased his relentless class. With a crushing acceleration, he surged past Aerts to take the lead. Neither Iserbyt (Pauwels Sauzen – Bingoal), Wyseure, nor any of the other favorites could respond, forming a chasing group instead. After just one lap, the gap had already widened to 21 seconds.

Behind the world champion, the fight for the remaining podium places was wide open after two laps. Thibau Nys and Pim Ronhaar (Baloise Trek Lions) broke away from the other favorites. Van der Poel stayed focused and, by the third lap, had already built a lead of over half a minute. World Cup leader Vanthourenhout (Pauwels Sauzen – Bingoal) had a poor start but gradually worked his way back into the race. Together with Lars Van der Haar (Baloise Trek Lions), he closed to within 20 seconds of the Nys-Ronhaar duo.

After a slip by Ronhaar in the pit zone, Nys decided to go it alone. Ronhaar was caught by the chasing group, while Nys gained a ten-second lead. Midway through the race, Van der Poel was already posting otherworldly lap times. Nys followed solo at 50 seconds, with the chasing group over a minute behind. Another mistake by Ronhaar forced the chasing group to dismount briefly. Nys continued to ride strongly, extending his lead to a comfortable 30 seconds.

Lars van der Haar then accelerated, breaking up the group, with only Joran Wyseure managing to hold his wheel. While the pace in the back kept increasing, Van der Poel continued to extend his lead effortlessly. In the penultimate lap, the fight for second place reopened. At the start of the seventh lap, Nys’s lead had halved, and Toon Aerts and Eli Iserbyt rejoined Van der Haar and Wyseure. A determined Nys, however, refused to relinquish his advantage.

The world champion turned the final lap into a victory lap, claiming a convincing win in his first cyclo-cross race of the season. Nys earned the title of "best of the rest" after a strong performance, while Wyseure edged out Toon Aerts for the final podium spot.