"It's going to happen at some point" - No decision on date, but Mathieu van der Poel admits he will eventually quit cyclocross
Cyclocross
Mathieu van der Poel is a five-time cyclocross World Champion and the main favourite to take the rainbow bands this week in Tabor. It was in the Czech Republic that he first won the Worlds in the discipline, and he admits that it may also be the site of his last.
"Especially for the peace and quiet. I'll have to take a look at that. I became world champion the first time in Tabor and maybe again next week. That would be nice, but I haven't made a decision yet. If I like doing it, I'll keep doing it. Above all, it must be meaningful," van der Poel told Wielerflits.
Read also
Two seasons ago the Dutchman abandoned his plans of racing in the winter shortly after starting, due to ongoing back issues. He has since fixed them and went on to have his most successful season ever in 2023, winning the worlds in cyclocross and the road, Milano-Sanremo and Paris-Roubaix. He is now the prime candidate to win the worlds in tabor after winning most of his races throughout the winter, but this does not mean that he will continue to do so throughout the next few years.
“It has also crossed my mind this year, but I have still decided to continue racing. It's going to happen at some point that I won't do it anymore," he shares. "Last year I had shit happen to me after quite a bit of racing and I don't think it's worth it. You should not underestimate such a day of cross. The audience and everything that comes with it. That hour of cross itself may cost the least energy. From the moment you arrive, you have to go through the public and that never stops on such a day.”
Van der Poel has become an established rider on the road and has lots of ambitions, alongside this being an Olympic year, where he will pursue Mountain Biking as well. Van der Poel admits that after so many years and success in the discipline, he may announce suddenly not to race on a winter - as he suggested a few times in recent months. This would prevent him from reaching Erik De Vlaeminck's seven rainbow jerseys. “I'm not concerned with that," van der Poel admits.
"Maybe someday. It could also be two years without cross and then start again. It is very difficult, even today. But it's not the training you need in the spring. Then you might benefit from long endurance training instead of riding for an hour around your turning point like now. I mainly ride because I enjoy it. That's enough, but I can also see myself."
Read also
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.
claps 0visitors 0
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- He should have been allowed to go to Movistar. Right now both arent a good fit for each other and are just wasting each other's time and effortabstractengineer08-11-2026
- Thibau Nys does exactly what Iserbyt is calling for
Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026 - i did not see it. was the relegation justified or an overly hard decision? and don‘t cross riders deviate from straight lines all the time? bumping into each others when they cut corners, etc … why being more strict with the rules on the finish sprint?Ketterechts08-11-2026
- seems like we are advertising the website with pointless comments…Ketterechts08-11-2026
- So?Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
- The UCI do have their favorites.
Front24208-11-2026 - On a positive note, you maybe notice turning this topic into a discussion has the benefit of eliminating certain participants who do not see how they can turn it back to their sole interest ;-)Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
- People see what they want to. I am actually the opposite of your accusation, probably more of a rebel than most of you who don’t get the big picture. The difference is, I don’t go moaning publicly about the consequences of my transgressions, I understand the need for rules and I take my OWN responsibility when deciding to ignore or break them or doing so involuntarily. I will also not hesitate to state my case or argue vehemently when relevant, sometimes it works, sometimes it makes things worse but that’s the price to pay for principles and having character.Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
- That may be but that was unknown to others and nothing says that’s the whole truth. Again, don’t try to misinterpret, it is a call and technically it is correct. Besides, even if there is a valid reason, that does not disqualify the ruling or punishment as far as the rules have been developed. I don’t think they’re as far as in football where for handball there is a distinction (in some ways and specific cases) between intentional or not. And football can be just as harsh and people live with it, eg the offside rule, also judged to within tiny fractions but often wrong or ignored. It’s the nature of every collective organisation and sometimes I wonder if our rebellion against it isn’t seated in the feelings we carry from the injustices we’ve felt personally, like being flashed driving 1km/h too fast when we are explained limits are just a security measure but we are absolutely certain not to have endangered anyone with our transgression. The problem is, nobody has better solutions and no 2 people have the same interpretation of where a limit should be.Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
- Because for you deviated implies the other rider MUST have been made to fall and fail to finish ??? I don’t know if you ride a bike but next time someone carves you up or drives dangerously close, just hold back from those feelings of changing something, reporting or filming or even complaining. Everyone will just say, hey you’re still here undamaged, doesn’t seem like anyone did anything.Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
Loading
🥇🥇🥉🏆🏆 Congrats @mathieuvdpoel and Tibor del Grosso, winners in Hoogerheide. Congrats Ceylin Alvarado & (again) Tibor, overall winners @UCIcyclocrossWC And there was also a podium spot from @JenteMichels in the U23 race. 📸 Photopress.be #alpecindeceuninck
Write a comment