Ryan Kamp played a subtle yet significant role in Mathieu van der Poel’s commanding victory at the 2025 Cyclocross World Championships in Lievin. Van der Poel secured his seventh world title with relative ease, but an anticipated showdown with his rival, Wout van Aert, never truly materialized. This lack of a head-to-head battle can, in part, be attributed to a strategy employed by Kamp early in the race.
Starting from the 4th row, Van Aert quickly found himself in a traffic jam as he tried to maneuver through the pack. At the front, Van der Poel was already pulling away, building a comfortable lead just a few corners into the race. Van Aert’s attempt to bridge the gap was hindered not just by the mass of riders ahead, but by a determined Kamp, who made it his mission to block Van Aert’s progress.
In an interview, Kamp admitted that he had intentionally sought to irritate Van Aert during the early laps. He explained that he wasn’t directly trying to cause a collision, but he was certainly positioning himself to make life difficult for Van Aert as he tried to push forward. “Getting in the way is saying a lot, but still,” said Kamp, acknowledging his role in slowing Van Aert’s progress. This tactical disruption by Kamp, while subtle, was effective. By making Van Aert expend extra energy navigating through the bunch, Kamp helped ensure that Van Aert was unable to quickly close the gap to Van der Poel.
While it was never the main goal to delay Van Aert, Kamp’s actions undoubtedly played into Van der Poel’s strategy. By blocking Van Aert’s path, Kamp not only helped slow the Belgian but also bought Van der Poel precious seconds to extend his lead, which he would not relinquish.
Kamp’s tactics were in line with the unpredictable nature of cyclocross racing, where every advantage counts, even in the smallest of moves. Though Kamp didn’t take the spotlight in terms of results, his interference with Van Aert’s race shows how races can often be decided by factors beyond the battle at the front. By focusing on the bigger picture and working as a team for their countryman, Kamp helped Van der Poel secure a historic seventh world title, a feat that puts him alongside the all-time greats.
While Van Aert’s fans may have been frustrated by his inability to challenge Van der Poel, they could appreciate that his journey to the front was made significantly harder by a well-executed, albeit subtle, strategy. In the world of elite cyclocross racing, sometimes the most effective moves aren’t always the most visible.
