Mathieu van der Poel has begun properly focusing on road racing, but has nevertheless managed to combine it with MTB and also Cyclocross, where he grew into a superstar of the sport. He'll be racing off-road this winter, and has hinted at some plans.
"...I will race anyway. I don't know when or where yet, but just like last year I have a plan of 10 to 15 races," he told Sporza. Not racing a whole season as some of the purists, the Dutchman will follow a specific calendar, likely building up towards the World Championships as he's done in the last few years.
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Last year the plan was the same, however things didn't go as planned: "Last year I only rode one and a half cyclocross because of those back problems," he said. His back issues had appeared earlier in the year, and after two months of break, he returned right after christmas with a second place in Derdemonde. The following day he was at the start in Heusden-Zolder, but abandoned the race due to back pain. A week later he was forced to take several weeks off the bike to give his body total rest - before restarting the work.
He's hoping to get back on track over the 2022-2023 season. "At least 10 crosses is now the intention," he concluded.
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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