Watch as Mathieu van der Poel clinches X2O Trofee Baal-GP Sven Nys victory after fall in battle with Emiel Verstrynge
Published 01/01/2026 at 18:53 GMT
Dutch rider Mathieu van der Poel fought through a setback to clinch his seventh consecutive cyclo-cross win after victory at X2O Trofee Baal-GP Sven Nys. Van der Poel suffered a fall as he was challenged consistently by Belgian rider Emiel Verstrynge, his team-mate in the road discipline but an adversary in cyclo-cross. You can watch and stream the 2026 cycling season on TNT Sports and discovery+.
'Big mistake' - Van der Poel falls in Baal
Video credit: TNT Sports
Mathieu van der Poel ushered in the new year with a solo win at X2O Trofee Baal-GP Sven Nys, despite suffering a fall during the race.
It was the Alpecin-Premier Tech rider's seventh consecutive win of the cyclo-cross season, and he took victory by 37 seconds ahead of Crelan-Corendon rider Emiel Verstrynge.
Van der Poel clinched the victory despite crashing in the mud halfway through the race during a climb, but managed to get up quickly and keep pace with Verstrynge.
The victor was calm as he talked about his fall and the consistent pressure that 23-year-old Verstrynge inflicted on him.
"I drifted a bit off the line, couldn’t get back into it, and ended up on the ground," Van der Poel said after the race.
"He [Verstrynge] had a good day," the world champion added. "He lasted a long time, which was impressive.
"Not much was said, and there's no need to. I know him pretty well. He's a nice guy with a lot of talent. That was evident today.
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Highlights: Van der Poel wins Trofee Veldrijden in Baal despite fall
Video credit: TNT Sports
"It was really nice. Finally a bit of muddy conditions. Until now we had only very fast races with some nice weather and luckily today we had a little bit of rain.
"So the course was changing quite a bit. But I enjoyed it. It was slippery and technical and it is a venue I really like to race, and also today I enjoyed myself."
His fall comes a few days after he had another lucky escape following an accidental collision with a fan at X2O Trofee Loenhou tAzencros on Monday.
He claimed a sixth consecutive victory in Belgium, and fought through two setbacks after he was unclipped on the start line.
As he worked to move to the front of the lead group, a spectator's hand came over the railing, forcing Van der Poel to suddenly change direction. He fortunately managed to maintain balance, but was not so lucky in Baal.
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Even before the fall, Verstrynge did an excellent job of catching up with Van der Poel, and had closed the gap to around 10 seconds before the Dutch cyclist's crash.
"I saw him riding and I felt good. I thought: 'why not?' That didn't feel good, but I can only get better from it. It's good that I was able to join a few laps and that I could finish second," Verstrynge said.
"I did feel that Mathieu had the intention to take me along for a bit. There was a good understanding. It's nice that way. It's good to start 2026 like this. I'm going home happy."
After a good battle with Verstrynge, Van der Poel returns to Mol and faces an even tougher clash with a familiar foe in Wout van Aert.
Van Aert is a former three-time cyclo-cross world champion but has yet to win a race in the discipline this winter.
"These days I’m often better in the second race than in the first," Van der Poel said. "Maybe that’s age. Hopefully that’s also the case tomorrow."
Watch and stream the 2026 cycling season - including the Tour de France - live on TNT Sports and discovery+
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