Cyclocross, Van Der Poel scores a double: "I didn't expect to feel so good"

Rome, 23 December 2024 - The already few races on the calendar to enjoy the most anticipated duel in cyclocross (in the absence of the triello due to the red traffic light being on tom pidcock for this year) have lost along the way the super prestige di Mol, from which one of the two protagonists, Wout van aert, he withdrew due to a seasonal illness: the other favourite of the mud, Mathieu van der Poel, instead signs the lightning double after having already won yesterday at Zonhoven under the World Cup.  

Van Der Poel's statements

  Intercepted on the microphones of CyclingFlits, the Dutchman commented on his exploit. "I think it was one of the best races I've ever done and I didn't expect it. I did different training than usual in the run-up to these events, with the idea of ​​being fresher for the holiday period. Instead I immediately felt very good and even the technical parts went very well". Great news especially in view of the World Championships in Liévin. "I would say that in view of that appointment I am in a good position. Starting with such a tough race was important. I went at my own pace from the beginning and this helped, even if in the first phase I made some mistakes before finding the right line in the muddy section". Then a comment on the forfeit of Van Aert. "I enjoyed it, but I feel sorry for him, who like me I think loves cyclocross. He didn't have many races scheduled and now he had to give up this one too."  

Vaughters' demands on cycling

  From the mud to the road, with Jonathan Vaughters, head of theEF Education EasyPost, to ask for a more economically equitable cycling through the microphones of CyclingNews. "If you look at sports that can build a large fan base, there are basically several where any team can win. One example is the NFL negli United States and the method they found is a very strict budget cap. The consequence is that there has been an increase in fans precisely because of the unpredictability. In addition, there is the draft, which allows the worst team to choose the reinforcements first". A very long premise to get to the criticisms to be made to cycling. "Here, the mistake is that there is no system and there are no limitations. We look at theUAE Team Emirates, which in a few years has built an empire from scratch. The truth is this: in cycling today you can buy success and in my opinion this is something that is not right and should be regulated. Those who govern this sport have lost touch with the reality of it and I believe that this does not help. On the one hand it is good that money comes in, but on the other hand we need rules to allow smaller teams not to be swallowed up by this system. Otherwise the sponsors always go to the same places and so many teams like us are taken away from the possibility of dreaming, for example, of winning the Tour de France".

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