'Right moment to pull one' - Van der Poel pulls off Ronaldo's Siu celebration after historic 8th Cyclocross Worlds win

Mathieu van der Poel produced another demonstration on home soil in Hulst, en route to creating history by winning a record-breaking eighth elite men’s cyclocross world title.

The Dutchman had stood alongside Erik De Vlaeminck for the last twelve months on seven victories, but a monumental victory in Hulst means he now stands alone, as he completes his second consecutive season of being unbeaten. 

In total, Van der Poel has won 183 elite cyclocross races out of 244 starts, marking a 75% rate, and is now unbeaten in 24 races. However, this victory in Hulst is the most significant of all those wins, and Van der Poel reflected on becoming a history-maker once more. 

“Very special. I said it last week already. When I started cycling, the dream was to become world champion one day in the elite category, and now to have the most titles of all time, it's incredible,” said Van der Poel in his post-race interview.

The flying Dutchman stormed away from Tibor Del Grosso and Thibau Nys on the second lap and had plenty in the locker to allow him to plan a celebration to mark a victory of such significance. 

In the end, Van der Poel replicated Cristiano Ronaldo’s iconic Siu celebration, and was asked for the reasoning as to why.

“In Spain, we do a lot of town sign sprints and a lot of different celebrations. But the Siu from Ronaldo is one of the most used, so I thought it was the right moment to pull one,” explained Van der Poel.

It was a celebration that capped a perfect performance from the Dutchman, who was well and truly operating at the highest level from start to finish. Van der Poel was asked if he felt he was at his very best. 

“It’s always difficult to say. I think maybe last weekend I felt a bit, a bit better, a bit stronger,” said Van der Poel. “But this course was completely different, and I really tried to manage my bike, my tyres, everything as good as possible to be sure that a mechanical didn't ruin the party.”

“I did what I had to do, and I'm really happy that it all worked out,” concluded Van der Poel, who, after enjoying his victory, will turn his attention to the road season and upcoming spring Classics where he’ll be targeting more history at races such as the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix.

The Dutchman could make history if he can win a fourth Paris-Roubaix in a row, which will draw him level with Roger De Vlaeminck and Tom Boonen, but crucially be the first rider to win four editions consecutively. 

Equally, the Dutchman is already the joint record-holder for most victories at the Tour of Flanders with three, and could stand alone with a fourth success in April.