Blanka Kata Vas wins thrilling Maasmechelen World Cup race; Mathieu van der Poel comfortably beats Wout van Aert

Blanka Kata Vas emerged victorious at the Maasmechelen World Cup on Saturday, claiming her first win of the season after an intense and chaotic race in heavy mud. Zoe Bรคckstedt came agonisingly close to overtaking the Hungarian in the final stretch, finishing second, while Lucinda Brand secured third place and the overall World Cup title with one round to spare.

The race began at a furious pace as Fem van Empel launched herself to the front, diving first into the off-road sections. While Van Empel appeared dominant early on, her fortunes changed on the second lap when she slipped on the off-camber section, dropping her out of the leading group. This opened the door for Vas, who took charge at the front alongside Brand, Bรคckstedt, and Puck Pieterse.

Vas established herself as the rider to beat with a powerful effort midway through the race. Behind her, Bรคckstedt and Pieterse engaged in a fierce battle, with the British rider eventually bridging the gap to Vas. However, the challenging off-camber section proved pivotal. Bรคckstedt fell twice in this area, allowing Vas to break away once more. Pieterse, meanwhile, crashed over the barriers on the final lap, ending her chances of a podium finish.

As the final lap unfolded, Bรคckstedt launched a desperate chase. She closed the gap to within seconds, but Vas held firm in the muddy conditions, sprinting to victory just ahead of the British rider. Brand, who had shown remarkable resilience throughout the race, crossed the line in third, 12 seconds behind Vas.

Post-race reactions

Blanka Kata Vas was jubilant after her first win of the season. “Iโ€™m so happy,” she said. “After three years, Iโ€™m back at the top. Sometimes itโ€™s really hard to spend an entire winter in Belgium, but this win makes it worth it. Iโ€™ve worked so hard over the past few years, and even practiced the off-camber section five times this morning. It paid off.” She also highlighted a tactical decision that helped secure her victory: “It was smart to only change bikes once. That gave me the chance to stay at the front.”

Zoe Bรคckstedt, though visibly disappointed, recognised her strong performance in the challenging conditions. “Iโ€™m a bit disappointed,” she admitted. “I was so close at the end but made too many mistakes. Still, this was probably my best race of the season.” The British rider, covered in mud after the race, described the conditions as ideal for cyclocross. “This is real cyclocross. Last week in Benidorm felt more like a gravel race, but todayโ€™s conditions were proper Belgian weather.”

Bรคckstedt also explained her late bike change during the final lap. “I fell on the off-camber section and decided to change bikes as a precaution. If something was damaged, I wanted to be safe. That section was so toughโ€”you had to go super slow or dismount. It was a gamble every time.”

Lucinda Brand was pleased to secure the overall World Cup title despite her third-place finish. “It was a strange race,” she said. “I felt great on the first half of the course but struggled on the second. The other riders were incredibly strong today.” Her third-place finish brought her World Cup points total to 310, enough to ensure she cannot be caught in Sundayโ€™s final round in Hoogerheide.

The day proved challenging for other favourites, including Puck Pieterse, who crashed over the barriers on the final lap and finished fourth, and Marianne Vos, whose mechanical issues left her outside the top ten. Ceylin Alvarado and Manon Bakker rounded out the top five and six, respectively, in what proved to be a race of endurance and skill in classic cyclocross conditions.

2025 Women’s Maasmechelen result

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Mathieu-van-der-Poel-dominates-Maasmechelen-World-Cup-after-Van-Aert-falls-in-the-mud-1Photo Credit: Getty

Mathieu van der Poel continues to dominate cyclocross as the World Championships get ever closer

Mathieu van der Poel put on a masterclass in Maasmechelen on Saturday, winning the World Cup race in commanding fashion after a chaotic and muddy battle. Wout van Aert, who suffered a series of costly mistakes, finished second, over a minute behind his Dutch rival, while Joris Nieuwenhuis completed the podium in third.

The race began with both Van der Poel and Van Aert starting from less-than-ideal positions on the grid. Van der Poel lined up on the second row, while Van Aert was two rows further back. Both riders made quick progress through the field, avoiding a large crash mid-pack as the race hit the first off-road sections. Van Aert, eager to make up ground, pushed hard and briefly led the front group, which included Van der Poel, Nieuwenhuis, and Michael Vanthourenhout.

However, Van Aertโ€™s aggressive start came at a cost. Early in the first lap, he clipped a post while passing another rider, momentarily losing ground. He recovered quickly and rejoined the leaders, setting the stage for the much-anticipated duel with Van der Poel.

The battle took a decisive turn during the second lap. As the two riders led the group through a technical descent, Van Aertโ€™s front wheel sank into the mud, sending him flying over his handlebars. While he scrambled to straighten his bike and rejoin the race, Van der Poel took full advantage, launching an attack that quickly established a significant gap.

From that moment, Van der Poel was untouchable. By the end of the second lap, his lead over Van Aert had grown to 18 seconds, and it only increased as the race progressed. Navigating the treacherous off-camber sections with poise, Van der Poel consistently chose higher, firmer lines while others struggled in the mud. His technical skill and powerful riding saw him extend his advantage to 50 seconds by the fourth lap, effectively ending any chance of a comeback from Van Aert.

Behind the leader, Van Aert showed determination, clawing his way back to second place and leaving the rest of the field behind. However, he was unable to close the gap to Van der Poel, who cruised into the final lap with a comfortable lead of over a minute. Meanwhile, Nieuwenhuis managed to hold off Vanthourenhout and Toon Aerts in a close battle for third, securing his place on the podium.

As the bell rang for the final lap, it was clear Van der Poel would not be caught. The Dutchman eased through the last sectors, crossing the finish line 1:14 ahead of Van Aert to claim his sixth cyclocross win of the season. Nieuwenhuis followed in third, 1:53 behind the winner.

2025 Men’s Maasmechelen result

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Main photo credit: Cor Vos