Gallery: Van der Poel tames the gravel at the Antwerp Port Epic
It’s more than six weeks since Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix) crashed out of the cross country MTB race at the Tokyo Olympics, injuring his back in the process. Sunday’s Antwerp Port Epic was his first race since then – a chance to test out his back ahead of the upcoming Road World Championships and the postponed Paris-Roubaix.
In classic Van der Poel style, the 26-year-old went on to win the race, beating Giro d’Italia stage winner Taco van der Hoorn in a two-up sprint.
The UCI 1.1 Antwerp Port Epic is a road race, but to quote photographer extraordinaire Kristof Ramon, the event’s 36 km of gravel and 28 km of cobblestones ensure “
this race occupies a unique spot in the Belgian race scene”. Head on down the page to check out Kristof’s photos from one of the coolest races on the calendar.
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Van der Poel was the star attraction at the Belgian one-day race. -
“Hmm, how will I win this one?” -
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The scenery is a little different at the Antwerp Port Epic. -
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The peloton passes under the Schelde river. -
Gravel time. -
Jonas Rickaert (Alpecin-Fenix) kicking up dust at the front of the bunch. -
Van der Poel will be hoping his back is ready in time for some more serious cobbles in northern France in a few weeks’ time. -
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Dusty. -
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Van der Poel pushing the pace. -
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Sub-optimal. -
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Van der Poel opened a gap on a gravel sector with around 25 km to go. -
Only Taco van der Hoorn was able to follow him. -
“The back gave some problems in the final hour but it didn’t bother me as normal,” Van der Poel said later. “I am relieved.” -
“Right, so how am I winning from here?” – Van der Hoorn, presumably. -
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It came down to a sprint between Van der Poel and Van der Hoorn … -
… with Van der Poel taking a comfortable victory in the end. -
Not a bad result for a rider apparently just testing himself. -
“I have to wait to see how I react but this race isn’t like Roubaix or Worlds,” Van der Poel said about participating at those events. “We’ll decide this week.” -
Dries De Bondt cleans up after a dirty day at the office. -
A big teddy … -
… and a big glass of beer for the winner. -
Mmmm, Kwaremont. -
Tim Merlier won the sprint from a small group to finish third. -
A good day out for Alpecin-Fenix with two on the podium and three in the top 10.
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