Alpecin Phoenix rival Mathieu van der Pol won a dominant solo victory in the UCI Cyclocross World Cup in Hulst on Sunday.

Jumbo Wisma finished second, 1:31 behind the Dutchman, in the final race of the World Cup. However, he remains in first place in the overall standings, and a second place finish or better at the Ovelaise on the 24th will determine the winner.

After the race, van Aal said that he was not at his absolute best in Hulst, even though he needed to match van der Pol in his current form.

"It may not have been my worst day, but if Mathieu had his best day, I have to be at the top.

"Before the start I was feeling better than I did at Barr. Before the start I was feeling better than I did at Barr.

Van Aert had a problem in the pits with his mechanic and made a mistake changing bikes, losing precious seconds. On the track, Van der Pol and Barroise Trek Lions rider Toon Arts were in front of Van der Pol, and Van der Pol took the lead alone on lap 3.

"The mechanics were ready to go," Van Aert said. "But all of a sudden someone came along and interfered with our movement. I tried to grab the bike, but it was gone."

"I lost momentum a couple of times, but I didn't have my legs again today.

Van Aert changed tires several times during the race, looking for the best grip in the muddy conditions. He eventually settled in and spent the second half of the race battling with Trinity Racing's Tom Pidcock for second place. On the last lap he passed the young British rider and was able to get behind van der Pol.

"I was convinced I needed rougher tires," van der Pol said. But the wind had dried them out quite a bit. I thought it was the tires that didn't have the coarser tread, but that didn't work out as well as I'd hoped."

Van Aert will compete in the Belgian Championships next weekend, followed by the X2O Trophy in Hamme and the World Championships in his home town of Oostende on January 31.