Van der Poel slips on bridge during Worlds recon as Sven Nys states Dutchman is 'a size too strong'

The reigning World Champion has proven unbeatable so far this season with twelve victories from twelve starts and claimed overall victory in the UCI World Cup for the first time since the 2017-18 season. He currently sits level with Erik De Vlaeminck on seven world titles, but hopes to stand alone come Sunday evening.

During his reconnaissance ride on Friday, Van der Poel dazzled in front of those who were course-side, though the World Champion did suffer one small mishap, sliding out as he went around the corner on one of the course's bridges. The World Champion was quickly back up without a problem or worry with such slides, nothing uncommon during recon rides.

1994 World Champion Paul Herygers spotted the incident and stated to Sporza that “The reconnaissance wasn't without its challenges. On a very beautiful bridge, he slid onto the carpet around a bend. He could just as easily have been down."

The recently retired Eli Iserbyt had recently previewed the course with Het Laatste Nieuws ahead of the World Championships and noted the dangers of the course that the riders will have to be cautious of.

"They'll be blazing at 40 km/h here, although it's dangerous when you have to take a corner on a bridge. It can be very slippery. Every cyclocross rider is wary of that,” Iserbyt told Het Laatste Nieuws.

Meanwhile, 1996 World Champion, Adrie van der Poel, father of Mathieu and two-time (2005, 2013) World Champion Sven Nys, looked ahead to Sunday’s race and both were pretty straightforward in their analysis when asked by Nieuwsblad if there's a reason why someone else could become world champion in Hulst.

"I don't think so, but cyclocross always has to be ridden. You wouldn't wish it on anyone, but something can happen,” Nys told Nieuwsblad, whose son Thibau is one of the riders who would be best placed to capitalise on any potential misfortune after a strong season to date for the Belgian champion with five victories and second place overall in the World Cup.

The duo both acknowledged the fact that Van der Poel has proven he can overcome multiple obstacles during a race and still come out victorious, His most recent victory in Maasmechelen being the most recent case in point, where he suffered two separate punctures but still powered to a record-equalling 50th World Cup win, matching Sven's record.

"But to answer the question: in principle, we won't have an exciting World Championship. Mathieu is a size too strong,” said Nys.

“Normally, yes. Even if he gets a flat tyre… The time for panicking is over. In the past, he would have panicked after two punctures. But now he's been a pro for twelve years. You can see that in those stressful moments,” added Van der Poel.

You can read Domestique’s preview of the UCI Cyclocross World Championships here, and find out how to tune in live to the action this weekend here.

Video via Traxxmedia 👇