Dutch phenomenon Mathieu van der Pol pulled away from his rivals at Sunday鈥檚 cyclocross world championship to take a solo win. Contested on a muddy course in T谩bor, Czech Republic, the race was decided when the 20-year-old gained a small gap during the second lap and was never caught.
Van der Pol was eligible for the race鈥檚 under-23-year-old category, but he opted to ride in the main event, and the gamble paid off. 鈥淚t was the best choice of my life so far,鈥 he .
Youth also reigned in the women鈥檚 race. Twenty-two-year-old Frenchwoman Pauline Ferrand-Prevot. Marianne Vos, winner of the past six cyclocross world championships, placed third. This was the second world title for Ferrand-Prevot in five months. She also took first place in September鈥檚 road championships.
American racers had a disappointing year. In the men鈥檚 race, 38-year-old Jonathan Page was the top American finisher, placing 22nd. The four-time national champion owns the best finish by an American with a second-place ride in 2007. Current national champion Jeremy Powers was 32nd. In the women鈥檚 race, Kaitlin Antonneau was the top American finisher at 13th. Katie Compton, winner of 11 straight national titles, placed 27th.