Van der Poel also dominates in Koksijde
For a brief moment, it seemed Van der Poel was taking it a little easier in Koksijde. That was until the world champion unleashed a devastating attack in the fourth lap. Sweeck sprinted to second place ahead of Vandeputte.
The sand caused early splits in the first lap. As a result, World Cup leader Sweeck (Crelan–Corendon) and European champion Aerts (Deschacht–Hens CX Team) had to close gaps multiple times on the leading duo of Del Grosso (Alpecin–Deceuninck) and Van der Poel (Alpecin–Deceuninck). By the end of the opening lap, five riders remained at the front: Van der Poel, Del Grosso, Sweeck, Aerts, and Vandeputte (Alpecin–Deceuninck Development Team).
At the first passage across the finish line, Van der Poel forced his way into the lead for the first time. This allowed him to choose the lines himself, and on the first sand sections, he immediately opened a gap. Only Sweeck managed to follow the world champion’s wheel. They didn’t manage to break clear immediately, however, and Del Grosso, Vandeputte, and Aerts were able to reconnect — everything reset.
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Mistakes in the sand were never far away. By the end of the third lap, only three riders remained at the front: Vandeputte, Del Grosso, and the world champion. It was the perfect moment for Van der Poel to shake things up again. The solo move was on. By the end of the lap, Van der Poel had already built a 20-second lead over Del Grosso, Vandeputte, and Sweeck.
Behind Van der Poel, Del Grosso tried to put pressure on the World Cup leader. Gradually, he pulled away from Sweeck and Vandeputte, but the final decision came in the last lap. As Van der Poel rode through a wall of applause, Sweeck claimed second place in a sprint to the line, with Vandeputte finishing third. The world champion eased the pace in the final lap, enjoying his third consecutive World Cup victory.
