The fifth round of the Belgian DVV Trofee series at Scheldecross on Saturday yielded results that were far from surprising: Mathieu Van der Poel and Sanne Cant emerged victorious yet again. However, the favorites did not simply ride away with the race.

Van der Poel took an uncharacteristic tumble in the opening moments of the men’s race which put him on the back foot for the first two laps, while Wout Van Aert gained a small advantage on the field.

Just as Van der Poel caught Van Aert, the world champion became tangled in the course tape. Mishaps aside, the two favorites came together in the closing laps for one of the most thrilling final laps we’ve seen from the men’s field this year.

Sanne Cant took a hard-fought win against American champion Katie Compton in the elite women’s field. The duo traded blows for most of the race, but Compton was content to set the pace for most of the last lap, allowing the world champion to sit on her wheel and time her winning attack.

Compton still leads the DVV series ahead of third-place finisher Helen Wyman.

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Vos Not On Top Form Yet

Scheldecross marked the return of seven-time world champion Marianne Vos. Vos was granted a front-row start, however she lost contact with the leaders early on due to issues with her pedal. While an eighth-place finish may appear like a slow start for the Dutch champion, the transition from road to cyclocross seasons presents challenges for anyone. 

Vos will continue her cyclocross campaign at Waaslandcross Sint-Niklass (which will air live on FloBikes, for free with login, on Saturday, December 23 at 6:45 AM CST).

Van Aert Primed For Second Half Of Season

Wout Van Aert has not had a bad season per se, but he has been unable to contend with a flying Mathieu Van der Poel. Scheldecross may have marked a turning point in the world champion’s plight as Van Aert reemerged from an extended two-week block of training looking noticeably fresher. While Van der Poel still managed to take the win, Van Aert seems to have found that extra bit of speed he has been looking for.

Nothing Is Decided

With plenty of racing left ahead of the world championships, the margin between the favorites and their competition is narrowing. Van Aert has found the top end he was lacking in the first half of the season, and Sanne Cant has no shortage of challengers in the women’s field. The race for the rainbow stripes is heating up.

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By Michael Sheehan; Images by Balint Hamvas – Cyclephotos