GP SVEN NYS

Baal, Belgium

1 JANUARY 2021

World cyclo- cross champion Mathieu van der Poel settles into his rhythm in the first race of the new year at the GP Sven Nys in Belgium. Tom Pidcock had ambitiously gone out in front early on, but Van der Poel drew him back and simultaneously distanced his greatest rival Wout van Aert. The Belgian tried to stage a fightback on the final lap, while Pidcock struggled in his wake, but every time the gap closed a little, Van der Poel was able to respond and squeeze his lead out again. The pair’s rivalry, forged over many years in the arena of cyclo- cross, has spilled over on to the road, and it’s anticipated that they will renew their battle in the spring classics and beyond. Van Aert will defend at Milan-San Remo while Van der Poel got the upper hand at the Tour of Flanders last year. As the season progresses, their intense head-to- head battle for supremacy will be one of the stories of the year.