Van der Poel wins twice in the World Cup season’s closing weekend

Just as in Maasmechelen, Van der Poel was also the best in Hoogerheide. For the second day in a row, the world champion rode solo to victory. Michael Vanthourenhout finished second and secured his overall victory in the World Cup. Lars van der Haar took third spot on the podium.

Right from the start, Van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) stormed to the front. He quickly assumed control of the race, and barely 6 minutes in, the world champion made his move. A lap later, Michael Vanthourenhout (Pauwels Sauzen – Cibel Clementines) managed to break away from the chasing group. Closing the gap to Van der Poel seemed unlikely, but the leader in the standings was focused on securing the overall title.

At the front, the world champion kept the throttle wide open for the entire race. With the World Championships in Liévin next week in mind, Van der Poel clearly wanted to push himself one more time. By the halfway point of the race, his advantage over Vanthourenhout had increased to nearly a minute.

In the battle for third place, it was finally Van der Haar (Baloise Glowi Lions) who broke away with two laps to go. No one from further back in the field would catch up in the final phase of the race. At the front, Van der Poel clearly felt at home on the course he knows like the back of his hand. With jumps on the bridge, he treated the crowd to an extra show.

The world champion rode convincingly to victory, finishing with a 1:42 lead over Vanthourenhout, who secured the overall title. Van der Haar finished just under two minutes behind and secured the third spot on the podium.