"I hear that he would only ride three crosses" - Niels Albert speculates Mathieu van der Poel will only have 3 cyclocross races this winter including World Championships

Mathieu van der Poel's cyclocross schedule for this winter is still an unknown. It could be as soon as mid-December, but according to Niels Albert this could be as late as the 19th of January in Benidorm.

"I don't think Mathieu wants to do too much cyclocross. Hearing is [like] telling a lie, but I hear that he would only ride three crosses: two World Cups and the World Championship. First Benidorm, then Hoogerheide and then Liévin," Albert told Het Laatste Nieuws. This is by no means a confirmed fact, but the former World Champion is a reliable figure in the cross scene.

"That's very little, for sure. But maybe he wants to make a statement. He hinted a few times during the road season that he might skip a winter. I am sure Mathieu still likes to race, but he is tired of the hassle, the press, the podiums, everyone who keeps pulling at his sleeve: that hassle is no longer necessary.”

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Last year he proved this could be effective, as he won his first cross in Herentals with an attack right in the first minutes of the race, showing that it took no time or need for racing to show top form. He then won every single race, except for the Benidorm World Cup where he crashed, including the World Championships. But it didn't feel as if his form was growing throughout the winter, and the possibility of a very reduced calendar is very viable.

“He lives in Spain half the time, so Benidorm is very easy to catch," Albert argues. "Hoogerheide [World Cup] the following week is his father’s race, so he will want to race that too. And then he can put the icing on the cake at the world championship the week after that.” If the Dutchman is to win it, he will match Erik the Vlaeminck's seven rainbow jerseys in the discipline.

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Albert actually believes that the delay in the announcement of the World Champion's calendar (which was initially said by the team that it would be revealed last week) is purposeful from team manager Christoph Roodhoft. “It is his way of showing who is boss. As press and public you can beg as much as you want, only he, and no one else, decides when the news is announced.”

“With Wout I understand better that time is needed. Visma has always said that it wants to wait for the team training camp in December. Now it turns out that they are right: if Wout's knee is not okay, there is no point in racing. I don't think anyone can say with 100 percent certainty today when Wout will be 100 percent okay."

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