Van der Poel plays down record breaking win: 'I just rode my own tempo'

On paper, the result was historic. On the ground, it was businesslike. Van der Poel controlled the race early and turned it into a solo effort long before the finish. Still, he resisted framing the performance as a statement. “I just rode my own tempo,” he said afterwards in the post-race interview.

He also kept the analysis simple. “My lap times were pretty steady,” he added. “I did what I had to do.”

Rather than focusing on the margin or the record itself, Van der Poel pointed to how his form has developed across the winter. “I’m really happy with the feeling,” he explained.

“Because I was able to work well in Spain, I notice that I’m much better than in the first half of the season. Back then I mainly focused on endurance training. I’m very happy with the form.”

The satisfaction, he suggested, was less about winning in itself and more about how it felt for an hour at full concentration. “I had a really good feeling and tempo,” he said. “I stayed as focused as possible for an hour and I’m really happy with this feeling.”

Van der Poel also hinted that his build up has been slightly different to last winter, and that it is landing at the right moment. “We approached it a bit differently than last year and that seems to be working,” he said, before immediately underlining what matters now. “But it has to happen next week.”

The significance of the record of most World Cup wins was impossible to ignore. Nys’s 50 World Cup wins had stood as the reference point for a decade, and Van der Poel had only drawn level with it the day before. By winning again in Hoogerheide, he moved beyond it and stood alone at the top of World Cup history.

Even then, his reaction remained understated. “That is very nice,” he said. “I’m proud of it, and I’m looking forward to next week.”

Van der Poel now heads to the World Championships in Hulst as the clear favourite to break another landmark in cyclocross: the record for most world titles. 

The Dutchman can win an eighth rainbow jersey, which would take him clear at the top of the all-time list. It is a record he currently shares with Erik De Vlaeminck.

And, fittingly, he ended where he began: on focus, not fanfare. “Now it’s about staying healthy towards the Worlds,” he said.