Mathieu van der Poel claims record eighth cyclo-cross world title

Dutch cycling star Mathieu van der Poel claimed a record eighth world cyclo-cross title on Sunday with a dominant victory in Hulst, the Netherlands.

The 31-year-old surpassed the long-standing record of seven world titles held by Belgian rider Eric De Vlaeminck, who dominated the discipline and won his seventh title in 1975.

“When I started, my absolute dream was to win the World Championships at elite level,” Van der Poel said. “To be here now with eight titles is extraordinary.”

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Van der Poel led early in the four-lap race and navigated a controlled race to secure the win.

Fellow Dutchman Tibor Del Grosso finished second, 35 seconds back, with Belgium’s Thibau Nys completing the podium places some 55 seconds behind.

Despite his success across multiple disciplines, including world titles in road cycling and mountain biking, Van der Poel has long described cyclo-cross as his favourite.

“This eighth title feels like confirmation,” he added. “Breaking De Vlaeminck’s record was something nobody thought would happen.”

Earlier this season, Van der Poel secured his second cyclo-cross World Cup title, winning eight of the 12 races he contested.

His focus now turns to the road, with upcoming events including Milan–San Remo in March, followed by the Tour of Flanders and Paris–Roubaix in April.

(Source: Olympics.com)