Mathieu van der Poel might have taken his fifth consecutive win of the season at Friday’s seventh round of the 2025-2026 UCI Cyclocross World Cup in Gavere, Belgium, but he had a hard fight with Thibau Nys in the middle laps. Laurens Sweeck clung tenaciously to the series lead by one point over van der Poel. Tyler Clark was top Canadian in 41st.

Preliminaries

Nys once led the series but he was losing touch in fifth place. Three consecutive rounds meant that Mathieu van der Poel was fourth, 26 points in arrears of leader Sweeck. Michael Vanthourenhout was closest to Sweeck, 18 points back.

Rhett Bates, Liam Sargent, Tyler Clark and Remi Brisebrois made up the Canadian contingent.

Thibau Nys’s game has fallen off recently, but he nabbed the hole shot on Lap 1. Heusden-Zolder Superprestige victor Tibor del Grosso was on his six as they powered up the hill. Van der Poel kept surfing through the string. Belgian champion Nys tried to fly the coop. Emiel Verstrynge, Nys, Michael Vanthourenhout, van der Poel and del Grosso finished the first circuit together. Clark was top Canadian in 31st.

Nys, del Grosso and Michael Vanthourenhout leading the way early.

Verstrynge was the short train’s locomotive at the start of Lap 2, but Nys wanted to drive. Mees Hendrikx and Toon Vandebosche linked up with the pioneering group. Toon Aerts and Cameron Mason had aspirations to join in as well.

On Lap 3 del Grosso seized the reins and Nys was Tailgunner Charlie. Verstrynge and Hendrikx took their turns at the front. A septet crossed the line first, Mason eight seconds back. Clark was now 39th.

Hendrikx gets his chance to lead a World Cup race.

Del Grosso reestablished his leadership at the start of Lap 4 of 9. At this point, van der Poel had been no higher than third. Where was Sweeck? Back in eleventh. Nys made a surge on the long climb, bringing Verstrynge and van der Poel with him. Del Grosso, Vanthourenhout and Aerts chased. Nys invited Verstrynge to take a pull. One trio led the other by eight seconds. Clark was 38th.

Again, Nys accelerated on the long climb and this time only the world champion could match him. Vanthourenhout found Verstrynge.

Van der Poel shadows Nys on Lap 5.

Vanthourenhout and Verstrynge reunited with Nys and van der Poel at the start of Lap 6. Just after Aerts and del Grosso made it over, Nys once more powered up the long climb with van der Poel sticking to him like glue. They were gone, holding nine seconds at the line.

Van der Poel finally moved into Position 1 at the start of Lap 7. An error from Nys prompted the man in the rainbow jersey to hit the turbo. Yet another Nys mistake proved his undoing.

With the world champion romping to victory on the penultimate lap, Nys’s efforts were in keeping the runner-up place. Vanthourenhout, del Grosso, Aerts and Verstrynge engaged in melee mode for the final podium spot.

Del Grosso powered the pursuit of Nys on the bell lap. After van der Poel celebrated, a spirited scrap for third went del Grosso’s way.

The next round is December 28 in Dendermonde.

2025-2026 UCI Cyclocross World Cup, Round 7, Gavere
1) Mathieu van der Poel (The Netherlands/Alpecin-Deceuninck) 1:03:15
2) Thibau Nys (Belgium/Baloise Glowi Lions) +0:21
3) Tibor del Grosso (The Netherlands/Alpecin-Deceuninck) +0:23
41) Tyler Clark (Canada)
52) Remi Brisebrois (Canada)
54) Rhett Bates (Canada)
DNF) Liam Sargent (Canada)