'It takes some strength to ride on a flat for so long' - Van der Poel navigates two punctures to win 'Ice rink' Zonhoven cross

The world champion led the race from start to finish, blasting his way to the front, winning the holeshot, and he was asked in his post-race interview if the plan was to lead from the gun.

“No, not really. I did have the intention to try and ride at my own pace as soon as possible, but I got off to a good start for a change and immediately started doing my own thing, started riding my own lines, and that's when I'm at my best,” said Van der Poel.

Despite looking almost flawless once more, it wasn’t entirely smooth sailing for the world champion, who suffered two punctures at the same time on the fourth lap and saw his gap to the chasers momentarily reduced.

"Just after the finish, a stretch I know, there are a lot of rocks there, and yes, I felt it immediately,” said Van der Poel about the two punctures he suffered. "It always takes some strength to ride on a flat tyre for so long."

Regardless, Van der Poel was able to maintain his concentration on a tricky course made even harder by the snowy weather conditions and hold a convincing margin to win once more, ahead of his teammate Tibor Del Grosso.

"I really tried to stay as focused as possible for hours to avoid making mistakes, because in some sections it was literally turning into an ice rink,” explained the world champion.

Van der Poel was then asked the question of whether he ever thinks about stopping cyclocross following recent speculation about his future in the discipline. Van der Poel is targeting a record-breaking eighth men’s elite world title in Hulst on February 1.

“Everything is fleeting, and that will be the same for me. So, the older I get, the more I enjoy it. So, I certainly don't take it for granted, and I'll keep working hard, and hopefully, many more great victories will follow,” said Van der Poel.

The world champion will take a short break from cyclocross, skipping the Dutch championships on January 11. His next cross race could be the next World Cup round in Benidorm, a series he now leads overall, on January 18, as he gears towards creating history in Hulst.

When Van der Poel’s schedule was revealed, Benidorm was provisionally on the world champion’s schedule, depending on how far along his road preparations would be at that time, but he will now have the added incentive of defending his World Cup lead.

Surprisingly, Van der Poel has only won the elite World Cup series once previously in 2017-18, due to his reduced cyclocross schedule each season.

If Van der Poel races in Benidorm, he will be returning to the site of his last cyclocross defeat, when he finished fifth in Spain after suffering a crash on the penultimate lap in January 2024. He will no doubt be seeking revenge if he's on the start line in Spain in two weeks’ time.