Mathieu van der Poel's rainbow jersey was covered in mud during the Maasmechelen World Cup cyclocross race but there was no doubt who was the dominant winner and why he is so likely to win a seventh world title in Liévin, France, near Lille and the border with Belgium.
The Alpecin-Deceuninck rider faced eternal rival Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike) on Saturday. They went wheel to wheel for a moment during the second lap but a fall then took out the Belgian, allowing Van der Poel to cruise to victory.
