Van der Poel’s 2026 opener could be against Van Aert - and their rivalry might explode earlier than ever

For now, Mathieu van der Poel is still fully focused on the 2025-26 cyclocross season. The Dutchman is chasing his eighth rainbow jersey at the upcoming World Championships in Hulst, which would break the record he currently shares with Erik De Vlaeminck for most world titles, with seven each. But is he already thinking about the road?

The road season has technically already begun. It started on Tuesday, 20 January, with the prologue of the 2026 Tour Down Under, won by Samuel Watson of INEOS Grenadiers. And while Van der Poel’s head is still in the mud, he also has to start thinking about how he will approach the road season with Alpecin-Premier Tech, especially with Milano-Sanremo and Paris-Roubaix as his main objectives.

After a dominant win at the Benidorm World Cup, Van der Poel was asked by WielerFlits about the start of his road campaign. His answers were cautious and measured, but they were enough to get fans talking, especially with the cobbled classics in mind.

The Alpecin-Premier Tech rider did not rule out starting earlier than usual. Carefully, he suggested that Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, scheduled for 28 February, is one of the options he is considering.

“I have it in mind, but I haven’t decided anything yet,” he said, neither confirming nor definitively ruling out his participation. A short sentence, but enough to spark excitement.

This would be no ordinary race. Omloop Het Nieuwsblad is traditionally seen as the opening act of the Belgian classics season and the first real test on the cobbles. Its route includes several iconic sections of the Tour of Flanders, the Monument that will be raced around six weeks later. Riding Omloop therefore, means getting an early taste of the hardest pavé on the calendar.

The potential appeal is obvious. Wout van Aert, his great rival, will be on the start line, having already confirmed that he will begin his road season at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad with Team Visma | Lease a Bike. The possibility of seeing the two face each other so early in the year only adds to the intrigue.

Still, that showdown is far from guaranteed. Van der Poel usually begins his road season at Milano-Sanremo, scheduled for 21 March, a strategy that has worked well for him in recent years. Choosing to start in Belgium would mean a major change to his planning, bringing his season forward by almost a month and influencing the rest of his preparation.

For now, everything remains speculation, driven by a comment that was as careful as it was suggestive. What is clear is that, if Mathieu van der Poel does decide to change his usual schedule, the cobbled classics could get an opening to the season that is both earlier and more explosive than usual.