Mathieu van der Poel takes GP de Wallonie victory in impressive showing before World Championships
Dutchman throws down gauntlet to Pogačar and Van Aert ahead of the Wollongong road race
- (opens in new tab)
- (opens in new tab)
- (opens in new tab)
- Sign up to our newsletter Newsletter

Mathieu van der Poel demonstrated that he is in fighting form ahead of the fast approaching World Championships road race in Australia with victory at the GP de Wallonie this afternoon.
It was Van der Poel’s first win in several months since winning the opening stage at the Giro d’Italia.
The Alpecin-Deceuninck rider put in a huge effort on the gruelling final climb to the Citadel de Namur which came on the back of closing down a late attack from Tour of Britain winner Gonzalo Serrano (Movistar) and Dylan Teuns (Israel-Premier tech).
Biniam Girmay (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert) took second with Serrano in third.
Girmay took the fight to Van der Poel in the race finale but was ultimately forced to settle for the runner up spot behind the flying Dutchman.
After taking the win, Van der Poel was quick to play it down and initially explained that the team’s aim had been to set up Jasper Philipsen for the victory.
Van der Poel said: "I didn't feel very very good, to be honest. I said to Jasper that I'd do the lead-out for him, but I think he didn't feel great either. On the final bend, I just did my sprint, I didn't know if he was still in my wheel, but I still had the strength to go to the line, and it was a nice victory for the team."
The 27-year-old’s victory will be turning heads in both the Slovenian and Belgian camps in Australia with Van der Poel proving that he is in impressive form before travelling to the championships.
Wout Van Aert is widely considered as being the overall favourite for the race along with Tadej Pogačar who stormed to victory at the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal last weekend.
Surprisingly the Slovenian was able to dispatch Van Aert with a final powerful sprint for the line in Canada, although Van der Poel’s performance this afternoon will provide the Slovenian team with more thinking to do prior to racing getting underway.
Earlier this year the Dutchman out battled Pogačar to take a second victory in three years at the Tour of Flanders. Van der Poel proved that he was able to outthink the Slovenian on that afternoon in Belgium to record a resounding victory in a one-day setting against the two-time Tour de France champion.
Van der Poel went clear with Pogačar on the Oude Kwaremont climb but after the Slovenian rider hesitated in the run into the finish, the Dutch star was able to outsprint him with ease.
After victory in Flanders and Giro d'Italia success the Dutch rider rode the Tour de France although he was open in admitting that he hadn't reached the level he had hoped for.
The Dutchman has already scored psychological points in his duels with Pogačar this season and with an impressive win at the GP de Wallonie he will be full of confidence ahead of flying to Australia.
Thank you for reading 10 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Tom is a Digital News and Features Writer at Cycling Weekly.
Before joining the Cycling Weekly team, he worked at Oxford Brookes University, most recently in the Internal Communications team. An avid cycling follower with a keen interest in racing, his writing previously featured on Casquettes and Bidons.
-
-
Bikes of the Atlas Mountain Race 2023: from comfort gravellers to speed weapons, here’s what caught our eye
Covering 1,300km / 800mi of Morocco’s gravel roads and mountain passes, the Atlas Mountain Race demands a tech-heavy approach for its 3+ days of bikepacking racing
By Stefan Abram • Published
-
British champion Cameron Mason hoping for rain at Cyclo-cross World Championships
British national champion says patience will be the key in what’s expected to be a fast race in Hoogerheide, the Netherlands
By Tom Thewlis • Published
-
British champion Cameron Mason hoping for rain at Cyclo-cross World Championships
British national champion says patience will be the key in what’s expected to be a fast race in Hoogerheide, the Netherlands
By Tom Thewlis • Published
-
‘Cyclo-cross can’t exist with just three riders’ - Sven Nys on CX appearance fee disparity
Some CX riders reportedly forced to race for free due to large appearance fees handed to Tom Pidcock, Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert
By Tom Thewlis • Published
-
Sven Nys says Tom Pidcock skipping cyclo-cross World title defence ‘makes sense’
‘An effort to win in Hoogerheide will cost so much’ says Belgian cyclocross legend on a course that favours Pidcock's rivals
By Tom Thewlis • Published
-
In celebration of Peter Sagan, cycling's rock and roll frontman
As the three-time world champion is set to call time on his career in the WorldTour at the end of 2023, we thought we would take a look back at the glory days
By Tom Thewlis • Published
-
Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel deserve big CX appearance fees, says British champ
British national champion says Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel receive high appearance fees for a reason
By Tom Thewlis • Published
-
Wout van Aert wins round 12 of the Men's Cyclocross World Cup in the Zonhoven sandpit
The early stages suggested it was going to be a battle between the top four, but Van Aert went clear and never looked back
By Jack Elton-Walters • Published
-
All the 2023 kits: EF Education-EasyPost share latest collaboration with Rapha
American WorldTour team become latest to release their new 2023 kit, here's the rest
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Wout van Aert claims most dominant cyclo-cross win of the season at X20 Trofee Koksijde
The Belgian mastered the sand ruts to beat Mathieu van der Poel by over a minute and a half
By Tom Davidson • Published