"If I feel good enough after that preparation..." - Mathieu van der Poel hints at opening 2026 road race
Cyclocross
The prophecy has been fulfilled, and history has been written. Mathieu van der Poel captured his eighth Cyclocross World Championship title in Hulst on Sunday, breaking the tie with Erik De Vlaeminck to become the sole record holder in the discipline. To mark the occasion, the Dutchman crossed the line with a celebration instantly recognizable to football fans worldwide: Cristiano Ronaldo's famous "Siuuu."
While his victory was widely predicted, Van der Poel still had to deliver on the muddy course in Hulst. After distancing the field early, he had time to think about how to commemorate the milestone. It was a memorable moment for a memorable career that continues to expand by the year.
"Incredible" achievement
Van der Poel also shared a moment with Sven Nys, a legend of the sport who had coached Mathieu when he was a child.
"I think no one expects that when you start crossing," Van der Poel said of the record to Sporza. "When I started crossing as a little boy, Sven came to give me cross training... He was the only one back then who also jumped over beams."
"No one starts crossing with the idea that he is going to become world champion eight times," he added.
A sabbatical next winter?
With the record secured, the perennial question of his future in cyclocross returned. Will he take a gap year from the discipline to focus entirely on the road? "I honestly haven't decided yet myself," Van der Poel confessed. "I still really like crossing and the training is also very fun. It is just a thought to not do it for a year."
For now, his focus shifts to recovery and the upcoming road season. He plans to try a new sport that Primoz Roglic knows well. "I'm leaving tomorrow to go skiing for a few days. After that I'm going back to Spain to prepare for the road season."
As for his road debut, fans might see him at the Opening Weekend in one month. "Yes, that's right, but I'm only going to decide that the week before. If I feel good enough after that preparation, then I will certainly add it," he confirmed regarding a potential start at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad.
Read also
Félix SernaCycling Journalist
Félix Serna is a writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2025. He covers professional cycling across both the men’s and women’s calendars, with a focus on UCI rankings, race developments, and rider performance. His work includes interview-based reports, liveblogs, and tournament coverage designed to provide clear, accurate context throughout the season.
In his reporting, Félix regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical reference. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. He holds a bachelor’s degree in International Studies.
claps 5visitors 5
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- Great win.However will the world champions jersey be simply a domestic for the season which will some what tarnish the jersey. I hope he is given free rein to try and win some races.paultryan200206-11-2026
- Gretsky wow how old are you lol. Classy sportman though.🤣🤣🤣🤣 Hope it is a good as the one they made on Mark Cavendish.paultryan200206-11-2026
- Literally the perfect RedBull athlete.anonymouscyclist06-11-2026
- And well understood in the CX community.anonymouscyclist06-11-2026
- "Anatomy of a G.O.A.T." OK, that's great!!! I've been saying all along: Tadej Pogačar-Pogi is the G.O.A.T... period. Not only in cycling... but he's the greatest sportsman that ever lived !!! But let's take a look of what real foolishness is. We have many many fools, also on this site, saying that Pogi is "boring,"... he's making cycling "boring"??? I can't believe what's comming out of their deteriorating bad breath mouths. So I guess Merckx, Hinault, Indurain, Fasto Coppi and Anquetil were also boring at their time!?!? I guess Michael Jordan, Le Bron, Gretzky, Messi, Ronaldo, Shumacher, Novak Džoković, Federer, Rossi, Marquez, Phelps, Michaela Shiffrin, Venus Williams, Bolt, Lewis Hamilton... etc. were all boring. PS: Many cycling fans that think that way, have to get a brain scan. Ad acta!!!PogiSloFans06-11-2026
- ridiculous. a normal racing incident. how lame do you have to be to complain about that?Ketterechts06-11-2026
- Rubbing is racing.
santiagobenites06-11-2026 - Throws an elbow, but crashes afterwards and he's upset.
Front24206-11-2026 - There should be nothing but praise for them: 1. Trying to make things safer, and 2. Trying something "new".acem8206-11-2026
- And a bit of a malcontent on top of it all that doesn’t help.mij06-11-2026
Loading
Write a comment