Van der Poel marks the distance in Antwerp against Van Aert and Pidcock

The Christmas gift of cycling came to us packaged in Antwerp. For the first time in the 2023-24 cyclocross season, the so-called Three Tenors of the specialty coincided: Mathieu van der Poel, Wout van Aert and Thomas Pidcock. There was a lack of emotion. Van der Poel, first at the finish line, took a stroll. Van Aert, second, a hot flash. And Pidcock, eighth, was upset.

The expectation was maximum. The three, in their seasonal debut, had already tasted victory in previous races. Van der Poel's story in Antwerp had no more history than his own, than the one he wrote, half pedaling, half running, half rider, half infantryman. In that sense, in the absence of fighting, the race was disappointing. However, enjoying the quality of the Dutchman and the majesty of his flight at ground level, grass, sand, justifies any time spent in situ or in front of the television..

At the start, Van Aert's pedal failed. A few meters ahead, Pidcock was pushed and fell. Van der Poel was involved in the scene as a witness forced to stop. The three lost numerous positions and the need to overcome a circuit, according to the canons, narrow, winding, always subject to hammered mishaps, raised something similar to uncertainty. Or the desire to experience it. Nothing of that. Van der Poel came back effortlessly, by inertia.

Halfway through the third of eight laps he took the lead. Once in it, he pressed and the story was over. The same inertia that led him to victory led Van Aert to leave the chasing pack, ultimately overtake Eli Iserbyt, one of those pure specialists, and finish 29 seconds behind Van der Poel, who in the last stages of the test he took it easy.

Further back, Felipe Orts, twelfth, complied. Van der Poel put forward his best preparation, aimed at the World Cup. The other two focus theirs thinking about the 2024 route. The trio will meet five more times this season. On the 26th of this month in Gavere. On the 30th, in Hulst. On January 4, in Kooksjde. The 7th, in Zonhoven. And on the 21st, in Benidorm.