"I couldn't stand seeing someone else become world champion" – Mathieu van der Poel tipped to chase ninth rainbow jersey despite retirement talk
Cyclocross
Mathieu van der Poel has openly contemplated retiring from cyclocross after becoming the most successful men's world champion in the discipline's history, but former rival Eli Iserbyt believes the Dutchman will find it difficult to resist chasing a ninth rainbow jersey.
With Van der Poel yet to commit to another winter, Iserbyt suspects that watching somebody else claim a title he remains capable of winning would be almost unbearable for the 31-year-old.
Van der Poel surpassed Erik De Vlaeminck's longstanding record with his eighth world title in Hulst in February, completing an unbeaten 2025/26 campaign in the process. He had already discussed the possibility of retiring at the top, while also questioning whether skipping cyclocross altogether might benefit his ambitions on the road.
Iserbyt convinced Van der Poel will defend his crown
Speaking on Pickx Sport's Derailleur podcast, Iserbyt offered a different perspective on the prospect of Van der Poel stepping away while still dominating the discipline.
"If I were Mathieu, I couldn't stand seeing someone else become world champion knowing I could have raced myself at that moment," said the former European cyclocross champion. "Unless, of course, your wife gives birth the day or week before."
The qualification is particularly relevant. Van der Poel and his partner Roxanne Bertels are expecting their first child in January, coinciding with the World Championships in Ostend. Following his bronze medal at September's Road World Championships in Montréal, the Dutchman remained non-committal about his winter plans, acknowledging the significance of becoming a father for the first time.
Iserbyt nevertheless expects him to defend his title. "I think he'll always ride the World Championships," he said. "It's only an hour, after all..."
Having seen his own career brought to a premature end, Iserbyt also understands the value of opportunities that might not come around again. The Belgian was forced to retire in January 2026, aged just 28, following persistent problems with blood flow in his left leg. Four operations failed to resolve the condition, bringing an early end to a career that included a European title and two overall World Cup triumphs.
"I think that, in Mathieu's mind, the more world titles he can win, the better," Iserbyt said. "They're still titles, and at some point it will all come to an end and those opportunities won't be there anymore."
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Have Van der Poel's plans already been decided?
Beyond his belief that Van der Poel will return, Iserbyt also suspects that the lack of a public announcement might be deliberate. He pointed towards Philip and Christoph Roodhooft, the brothers behind Alpecin-Premier Tech, suggesting that the Dutchman's programme could already have been mapped out.
"I think they've had a plan ready for him for a long time," he said. "The Roodhooft brothers are smart enough to have everything planned out already, but it's also quite nice for the media and the fans to have a bit of mystery surrounding it."
Van der Poel's camp has offered no confirmation of such a plan, and the possibility of spending an entire winter away from cyclocross remains genuine. After years of balancing the discipline with his ambitions in the spring Classics, he has questioned whether a different approach to his preparation could offer advantages on the road.
His performances have certainly given him little sporting reason to stop. Van der Poel won all 13 cyclocross races he contested last winter, extending his unbeaten run to 24 consecutive appearances and claiming a fourth successive world title. His last defeat came in January 2024, when a crash in Benidorm ended his chances of victory.
The next World Championships take place in Ostend on 31 January 2027, six years after Van der Poel defeated Wout van Aert at the same venue to secure his fifth rainbow jersey. Whether he returns there as the defending champion remains unanswered, with the prospect of another historic triumph now competing with the very different priorities awaiting him at the start of the new year.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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