Mathieu van der Poel to compete on Spanish roads for first time ever at Madrid Criterium

Mathieu van der Poel has been confirmed for the Madrid Criterium, set to take place on Sunday, October 28th in the Spanish capital, meaning fans have one last chance to see the Dutchman compete on the road in 2023.

"The arrival of Mathieu van der Poel to Spain is already a fact. The Dutch cyclist, who won his first road world championship in Glasgow last August, will be the big star of Madrid Criterium," announced a post on the race's official Instagram account, accompanied by a video of the Alpecin-Deceuninck superstar speaking fluent Spanish.

Curiously, van der Poel has never before competed in a road race in Spain since turning professional. Race organisers will be hoping the chance to see the world champion in the flesh, alongside other top stars confirmed such as Juan Ayuso, Omar Fraile and Marc Soler will bring out big crowds. 

"Van der Poel has not competed in any road competition in our country since he became a professional, are you going to miss it?" concludes the Instagram post.