Updated December 14, 2025 08:46AM
Van der Poel Wins CX Debut Despite Crash as Nys Pushes the World Champion to the Limit
King Van der Poel won his CX debut despite flying over handlebars, but Nys piled on the pressure until a late-race mistake derailed his upset bid.
Van der Poel celebrates his CX season debut in a hard-fought race. (Photo: Billy Ceusters/Getty Images)
Another over-the-bars crash and a surprise challenger: Mathieu Van der Poel didn’t make it look easy in his cyclocross season debut Sunday, but a win is a win.
A last-lap wobble from Thibau Nys opened the door for the winning attack from King Mathieu, but the rising Belgian star made a strong case that he’s up to at least challenge Van der Poel in the mud this winter.
“It’s always hard on this course. In the end, I am happy to take the win. I was in the wheels and making some mistakes, but I am happy to get the job done,” Van der Poel said. “I made an early decision to wait until the end of the race to make my move, and I felt quite good in the end.”
All eyes were on MVDP as he started in the third line in his CX season debut, and it didn’t take long for him to pick through the crowd. Little by little, he ended lap 1 with the leaders.
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Nys was focused on marking Van der Poel’s wheel when suddenly the multi-sport superstar flew over the handlebars in lap 4.
In a haunting replay of his 2020 Olympic mountain bike disaster, the rainbow jersey was muddied in the end-oh on the rooty, technical Namur course.
Van der Poel crashed head-first, his tire apparently getting stuck in a rut. Luckily, he wasn’t injured and nonchalantly resumed the chase. MVDP lost position, but was back with the leaders by the start of lap 5.
Nys makes the case: ‘I felt I was in control’
Nys seemed a little lighter in the pedals, and the young Belgian refused to buckle. A searing attack in lap 8 put Van der Poel under pressure.
A four-up sprint looked possible until a hiccup on a right-hander midway in the final lap saw the leading Nys lose his front wheel, allowing MVDP and Co. to slip past.
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“I had a feeling I was in control, and I felt I had a big explosion left in my legs, but I made a small, stupid mistake that dropped me back to fourth place,” Nys said. “I felt like I had the power within me, but Mathieu was gone.”
Van der Poel pressed the advantage and blasted across a key cobbled sector to drive home with the winning wedge.
Nys chased back to finish second, but MVDP was gone, and he pounded his handlebars in frustration for the mistake that cost him a chance to battle for the win.
The king is back, but a prince is waiting in the wings.
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