Mathieu van der Poel lets go of Benidorm - Absence sparks World Cup battle back up with Thibau Nys

One of the marquee weekends for Spanish cyclocross is here: the Benidorm World Cup. The 2025/26 UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup round could always potentially feature Mathieu van der Poel who is training at home nearby, but the World Champion has opted out of the racee.

Van der Poel was expected to be the main draw in Benidorm. Even local star Felipe Orts admitted that, against him, victory was practically out of reach in a recent interview, and that fighting for a top 10 would already be a good result. But, according to Het Laatste Nieuws, the seven-time world champion, who will chase an eighth rainbow jersey to break the record, has ultimately chosen not to start.

It is true that nothing is made public yet, as neither Mathieu van der Poel nor his team, Alpecin-Premier Tech, have made a public statement. But the race was always optional, and at the time being the specialist is in the middle of a training camp which he looks to use to reach his very best form.

He will still race the Maasmechelen and Hoogerheide World Cup rounds next weekend if everything goes to plan, and the Hulst World Championships on the first day of February can mark an historic chapter in his career.

This week Dutch national coach Gerben de Knegt had said that whilst he hadn't made his decision, this would come later in the week. “Mathieu will decide later this week whether he really races. Official registration for this World Cup closes this afternoon (last monday, ed.). If you’re not on the list, you can’t get in afterwards. That’s why, by mutual agreement, we chose to handle it this way.”

Therefore, the Netherlands selection for Benidorm without Van der Poel is as follows:

On the women’s side, the Dutch line-up for the Benidorm World Cup, without Puck Pieterse, features 13 riders, with Lucinda Brand and Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado, the reigning national champion, as leaders: