ANALYSIS | What have we learned from the 2024/2025 cyclocross season: Is Mathieu van der Poel the GOAT, and is Belgian cyclocross in trouble?
CyclocrossThursday, 06 February 2025 at 10:00
As the dust settles on the 2025 Cyclocross World
Championships in Liévin, the defining narratives of this season have taken
shape. While a few races remain in February, the major battles have been
fought, and the standout stories are clear.
From the continued dominance of Mathieu van der Poel and Fem
van Empel to the rise of young talents like Thibau Nys and Tibor Del Grosso,
this season has offered plenty of drama, surprises, and moments of history.
Let’s take a quick look back at what has been a wet, muddy, and supremely
skilful past few months of racing.
Fem van Empel is the Queen of cross
At just 22 years old, Fem van Empel has already established
herself as the undisputed queen of women’s cyclocross. Her thrilling victory in
Liévin secured her third consecutive world title and this was perhaps the most
impressive of the lot. Just the week before, van Empel had looked shaking in
her World Cup outing leaving some experts believing she would be usurped in
France. That was not to be.
Van Empel’s latest rainbow jersey came after an intense
battle with Lucinda Brand, which required all of her skill and racing
intelligence. Brand threw everything at her, but van Empel held firm, proving
once again that she is the rider to beat. Three world titles before turning 23
is an extraordinary feat, and with her trajectory, it’s hard to see anyone
stopping her in the coming years.
The Dutch star has proved to be unstoppable once again,
winning almost everything she entered. Her technical skills, power, and ability
to peak for the world championships have set her apart from the rest of the
field in recent years. If this is still just the beginning of her reign, the
rest of the peloton has a serious problem on their hands.
Thibau Nys is more than just his father’s son
If there was ever any doubt that Thibau Nys was more than
just “Sven Nys’ son,” this season erased it. The 22-year-old Belgian had a
breakout campaign, winning both the Belgian and European Championships before
capping it off with a bronze medal at the World Championships behind only the
seemingly untouchable Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert.
Nys' progress has been rapid. His speed, bike handling, and
growing tactical awareness have made him one of the most exciting young riders
on the scene. While his father Sven remains one of the greatest cyclocross
riders in history, Thibau is carving out his own path and proving that he has
the potential to be a future world champion.
Thibau Nys has established himself as the closest to the big two
Aside from the bronze medal at the two titles he won this
season, perhaps the best moment of Nys’ season came at the World Cup in
Benidorm, where his last lap attack beat the great Wout van Aert fair and
square.
His podium finish in Liévin was a sign that whilst he’s
still got a large gap to overcome the big two, he’s certainly now the best of
the rest. Holding his own against two legends of the sport is no small feat,
and given his age, there’s every reason to believe that this is just the start.
With Van der Poel and Van Aert unlikely to be around forever in cyclocross, Nys
is positioning himself as the next big star.
Belgium’s women are on the defensive
Cyclocross in Belgium is in trouble, certainly on the
women’s side of things. The numbers are staggering: when Sanne Cant won the
world title in 2019, it was the last time a Belgian woman stood on the World
Championship podium. Six years ago! Since then, the Netherlands have been the
force to be reckoned with, sweeping the medals every year except 2022, when
Silvia Persico of Italy managed to take third place. And 2025 was no different,
where once again it was an all-orange podium.
For a country where cyclocross is almost a religion, this is
a concerning trend. The men’s elite riders may still be competitive
(competitive, that is, behind Mathieu van der Poel) but the women’s side has
fallen significantly behind. The Dutch pipeline continues to produce
world-class talent, while Belgium struggles to keep up.
Belgian cycling authorities have acknowledged the issue,
with calls for better development programs and structural support for young
female riders. But for now, the Netherlands' stranglehold on the women’s side
of the sport looks set to continue.
Tibor Del Grosso is a future star
Another young Dutch talent making waves is Tibor Del Grosso.
The 21-year-old successfully defended his U23 World Championship title, proving
that his first victory was no fluke. Earlier this season, he also won the Dutch
national championship in the absence of Mathieu van der Poel, further
underlining his credentials as a future elite-level contender. Del Grosso is a
teammate of Van der Poel’s at Alpecin-Deceuninck, and he’ll be hoping to pick
up a trick or two from the sport’s number one rider.
Del Grosso’s style is reminiscent of some of the very best;
he’s fast, technically sound, and seemingly consistently sharp. He has handled
the pressure of being a top young talent exceptionally well, and if his current
trajectory continues, he will soon be challenging the best in the world.
With riders like Thibau Nys and Tibor Del Grosso emerging,
the next generation of cyclocross looks incredibly bright.
Wout van Aert is still elite – but the gap to the old enemy has grown
Wout van Aert may not have won the cyclocross world title
since 2018, but make no mistake, he is still one of the best in the business.
Despite barely racing this season, he still picked up a win and finished
second at the World Championships in Liévin, proving his class once again.
Van Aert’s ability to turn up with minimal preparation and
still perform at an elite level is remarkable. But, and it’s a big but, the gap
between him and Mathieu van der Poel has never been wider.
Two years ago, in 2023, the World Championship battle
between the two came down to the final metres. In 2025, the difference was a
staggering 45 seconds. Van der Poel was in complete control, while Van Aert
could do nothing but watch.
Belgian cyclocross legend Bart Wellens summed it up best: “For
him, it’s just s**t that in his generation, he’s come up against someone like
Mathieu.”
Of course, there are a number of other variables we have not
mentioned, as Van Aert is coming off an injury hit 2024, and is still finding
his top gears. Still, Van Aert remains the clear second-best rider in the
world, but whether he can close the gap to Van der Poel in future years remains
to be seen. He’ll be hoping to pick up his first victory over his nemesis in
quite some time during the spring classics.
Mathieu van der Poel is the GOAT
There is no longer any debate in my mind: Mathieu van der
Poel is the greatest cyclocross rider of all time.
His dominant victory in Liévin secured his seventh world
title, equalling the record, and next year, in 2026, he will have the chance to
stand alone at the top.
Van der Poel's latest triumph was vintage MVDP. He obliterated
the field, dictating the race from the front and leaving no doubt about who the
strongest rider was. He is redefining what is possible in cyclocross, blending
raw power, technical mastery, and a hunger for victory that is showing no signs
of letting up.
His world title win over the weekend was so impressive,
everyone forgot to mention he’s still racing with a broken rib!
Van der Poel is no mere cyclocross rider either. He is also
a world champion on the road and in gravel racing, proving that he is one of
the most versatile riders in history. Joris Nieuwenhuis, who finished just off
the podium in Liévin, was seen applauding Van der Poel as he crossed the finish
line, a fitting tribute to a rider who continues to set new standards in the
sport.
Read also
Van der Poel’s legacy is already secure, but the scary
thing? He’s not done yet.
The 2024-25 cyclocross season has given us plenty to talk
about. Mathieu van der Poel remains untouchable at the top, while Wout van Aert
is still a long way clear of the rest but must fight to keep the Dutchman in
sight. Fem van Empel is dominating the women’s scene, with no signs of slowing
down, and Thibau Nys and Tibor Del Grosso are rising stars who could shape the
future of the sport.
Belgium’s struggles in women’s cyclocross are a growing
concern, while the Netherlands continue to churn out world-class riders at an
alarming rate.
With another World Championships in the books, cyclocross
has provided some superb entertainment once again whilst most of the road
riders have been hibernating. And as we look ahead to 2026, all eyes will be on
Mathieu van der Poel as he chases history. Can he break the all-time record and
further cement his legacy? Only time will tell.
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2 Comments
The Dutch in general are more successful in sport (among other things but unlike food or music )than Belgians, women even more so. There are few sports where Belgians dominate except perhaps motocross and at times (table) tennis. Compare the number of Dutch stars, Olympic medals (both summer and winter) and population size difference cannot explain it alone, what’s more in the Netherlands the women more than make their fair share of success.
There are probably macro and micro reasons for this. It’s pretty clear the Dutch have a huge lead in promoting women’s prospects as much as men and that women must thus feel more supported in their quest. The Belgians are probably handicapped by their lack of unity, I’d even say that cycling suffers from being Flemish (with its own language, culture, religion) dominated to such a point that the rest of Belgium probably is or feels discouraged to get very involved, so instead of pooling from about half the Dutch population, reality means more like 1/3 to a 1/4. Then there’s the administrative and financial and selection complications of it all, just for starters.
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