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He’s back!

The winningest cyclocross racer of this millennium made his return to cyclocross today at the 2022 UCI Cyclocross World Cup in the Dutch city of Hulst.

Mathieu van der Poel made his return to cyclocross a winning one. 2022 UCI Cyclocross World Cup in Hulst. Elite Men. © B. Hazen / Cyclocross Magazine

Mathieu van der Poel made his return to cyclocross a winning one. 2022 UCI Cyclocross World Cup in Hulst. Elite Men. © B. Hazen / Cyclocross Magazine

Starting from the fourth row, Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) wasted no time in pushing his way through the field, and in half a lap, found himself at the front of the race. Could the Dutch superstar, who almost went undefeated in two cyclocross seasons, secure his first cyclocross win since early 2021?

Have a watch at his impressive first lap surge, marred a bit with a crash:

2022 UCI Cyclocross World Cup Hulst Elite Men First Lap Video:

Van der Poel’s remarkable start was not enough. He had several crashes and fell back as far as eighth on the second lap, but then turned in a blistering third lap to regain contact with the leaders, and then use the steep hills to ride away from his competition.

Current World Champ Tom Pidcock (INEOS Grenadiers), fresh off an X20 Badkammers win on Saturday, kept the former World Champ within his sights as the two entered the final lap, with a margin that hovered around a dozen seconds until he destroyed his rear wheel, JRA.

2022 UCI Cyclocross World Cup Hulst – Top Pidcock’s Wheel Problem and Crash Video:

Van der Poel was never threatened after Pidcock quit and left the course.

Watch the final two laps of the 2022 Hulst Cyclocross World Cup:

2022 UCI Cyclocross World Cup Hulst Elite Men Final Two Laps Video:

2022 UCI Cyclocross World Cup Hulst Elite Men Highlight Video:

Mathieu van der Poel made his return to cyclocross a winning one. 2022 UCI Cyclocross World Cup in Hulst. Elite Men. © B. Hazen / Cyclocross Magazine

Mathieu van der Poel made his return to cyclocross a winning one. 2022 UCI Cyclocross World Cup in Hulst. Elite Men. © B. Hazen / Cyclocross Magazine

Laurens Sweeck (Crelans Fristads) finished in second to claim the World Cup leader’s jersey, with a resurgent Eli Iserbyt (Pauwels Sauzen – Bingoal) completing the podium.

L to R: Laurens Sweeck, Mathieu van der Poel, Eli Iserbyt. 2022 UCI Cyclocross World Cup in Hulst. Elite Men. © B. Hazen / Cyclocross Magazine

L to R: Laurens Sweeck, Mathieu van der Poel, Eli Iserbyt. 2022 UCI Cyclocross World Cup in Hulst. Elite Men. © B. Hazen / Cyclocross Magazine

Full results are below.

2022 UCI Cyclocross World Cup Hulst Results: Elite Men

PosNrName / UCI Cyclocross TeamNATTimeGap
138VAN DER POEL Mathieu
ALPECIN-DECEUNINCK
NED57:09:00-
212SWEECK Laurens
CRELAN - FRISTADS
BEL57:24:00+0:15
37ISERBYT Eli
PAUWELS SAUZEN - BINGOAL
BEL57:31:00+0:22
437VAN DER HAAR Lars
BALOISE TREK LIONS
NED57:39:00+0:30
534NIEUWENHUIS Joris
BALOISE TREK LIONS
NED57:58:00+0:49
615VANTHOURENHOUT Michael
PAUWELS SAUZEN - BINGOAL
BEL58:40:00+1:31
748ORTS LLORET Felipe
BURGOS-BH
ESP58:53:00+1:44
84ADAMS Jens
BELGIUM
BEL58:59:00+1:50
913VANDEBOSCH Toon
ALPECIN-DECEUNINCK
BEL59:20:00+2:11
1044KUHN Kevin
TORMANS CYCLO CROSS TEAM
SUI59:27:00+2:18
1114VANDEPUTTE Niels
ALPECIN-DECEUNINCK
BEL59:37:00+2:28
1216VERSTRYNGE Emiel
CRELAN - FRISTADS
BEL59:52:00+2:43
1331HENDRIKX Mees
CRELAN - FRISTADS
NED1:00:02+2:53
146BAESTAENS Vincent
BELGIUM
BEL1:00:16+3:07
1551BOROŠ Michael
ELKOV - KASPER
CZE1:00:20+3:11
1628DEL GROSSO Tibor
METEC - SOLARWATT P/B MANTEL
NED1:00:25+3:16
1710MEEUSSEN Witse
PAUWELS SAUZEN - BINGOAL
BEL1:00:32+3:23
1839VAN KESSEL Corne
TORMANS CYCLO CROSS TEAM
NED1:01:00+3:51
1925MENUT David
AS BIKE RACING
FRA1:01:08+3:59
2049SUAREZ FERNANDEZ Kevin
NESTA - MMR CX TEAM
ESP1:01:32+4:23
2145RÜEGG Timon
CROSS TEAM LEGENDRE
SUI1:01:34+4:25
2229GODRIE Stan
NETHERLANDS
NED1:01:44+4:35
2311SOETE Daan
DESCHACHT-HENS-MAES
BEL1:01:50+4:41
245AERTS Thijs
BALOISE TREK LIONS
BEL1:02:02+4:53
259LOOCKX Lander
DESCHACHT-HENS-MAES
BEL1:02:06+4:57
2659MEISEN Marcel
GERMANY
GER1:02:07+4:58
2720CRISPIN Mickaël
CROSS TEAM LEGENDRE
FRA1:02:15+5:06
2817BOMMENEL Nathan
AS BIKE RACING
FRA1:02:20+5:11
2918CASTILLE Noé
CROSS TEAM LEGENDRE
FRA1:02:23+5:14
3041VERBURG Luke
ABLOC CT
NED1:02:46+5:37
3140VAN LIEROP Danny
NETHERLANDS
NED1:02:57+5:48
3227THOMAS Théo
SEBMOTOBIKES CX TEAM
FRA1:03:18+6:09
3361BERTOLINI Gioele
SELLE ITALIA - GUERCIOTTI - ELITE
ITA1:03:42+6:33
3421GILLES Cyprien
FRANCE
FRA1:03:43+6:34
3556VANÍCEK Šimon
CZECH REPUBLIC
CZE1:04:32+7:23
3619CHAMERAT DUMONT Antony
FRANCE
FRA1:04:54+7:45
3722GUILLAUD Valentin
FRANCE
FRA-1 LAP
3824LEQUET Corentin
AS BIKE RACING
FRA-1 LAP
3967HERRMANN Lukas
HEIZOMAT RADTEAM P/B KLOSTER KITCHEN
GER-1 LAP
4030GROENENDAAL Bailey
NETHERLANDS
NED-2 LAP
4155RÍMAN Jakub
CZECH REPUBLIC
CZE-2 LAP
4252CERNÝ Patrik
EXPRES CZ - TUFO TEAM KOLÍN
CZE-2 LAP
4358KUSCHLA Silas
GERMANY
GER-2 LAP
4457HARTER Luca
GERMANY
GER-2 LAP
4523LELANDAIS Rémi
CROSS TEAM LEGENDRE
FRA-2 LAP
4646INGUANZO MACHO Gonzalo
SPAIN
ESP-3 LAP
4750SUAREZ FERNANDEZ Alain
NESTA - MMR CX TEAM
ESP-3 LAP
4854HULA Robert
EXPRES CZ - TUFO TEAM KOLÍN
CZE-3 LAP
4936UPTEGROVE Pete
NETHERLANDS
NED-3 LAP
5047JUNQUERA SAN MILLAN Mario
UNICAJA BANCO - GIJON
ESP-3 LAP
5160BALDESTEIN Raul
CYCLING CAFE' RACING TEAM
ITA-3 LAP
5266JØRGENSEN Mikkel
DENMARK
DEN-4 LAP
5363MANCINELLI Philippe
CYCLING CAFE' RACING TEAM
ITA-4 LAP
5462GILIOLI Samuele Silla
ITALY
ITA-4 LAP
5565TURSI Loris
ITALY
ITA-5 LAP
1PIDCOCK Thomas
INEOS GRENADIERS
GBRDNF
32KAMP Ryan
PAUWELS SAUZEN - BINGOAL
NEDDNF
35RONHAAR Pim
BALOISE TREK LIONS
NEDDNF
33KARS Hugo
NETHERLANDS
NEDDNF
3YOUNG Jenson
SAINT PIRAN
GBRDNF
53FIALA Matyáš
CZECH REPUBLIC
CZEDNF