The Netherlands' Mathieu Van der Poel claimed victory in the men's elite event at the UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup in Heusden-Zolder in Belgium ©Getty Images

The Netherlands' Mathieu Van der Poel claimed victory in the men's elite event at the International Cycling Union (UCI) Cyclo-cross World Cup in Heusden-Zolder in Belgium.

Van der Poel clocked a time of 62min 22sec at the Circuit Zolder venue, beating home riders Laurens Sweeck and Quinten Hermans by 0.06 seconds.

Sweeck finished second ahead of Hermans.

Belgium's Toon Aerts, who ranked 14th today, remains top of the UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup standings with 437 points.

Compatriots Michael Vanthourenhout and Eli Iserbyt are second and third, respectively.

Vanthourenhout, today's fourth-place finisher, has 392 points, while Iserbyt, who had to settle for 13th place, has 386.

In the women's event, The Netherlands' Lucinda Brand made it back-to-back wins with a time of 47:49.

She led a Dutch podium sweep, with Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado second in 47:50 and Annemarie Worst third in 48:02.

Marianne Vos and Inge van der Heijden completed an all-Dutch top five.

Alvarado has taken the lead in the World Cup standings with 360 points.

Czech Republic's Kateřina Nash, who finished 15th today, is second with 359 points, and Worst is third with 345.

The UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup season is due to continue in Nommay Pays de Montbeliard in France on January 19.