“Surprise, surprise” – Mathieu van der Poel makes late U-turn and will race Benidorm after all

Just a few days after it looked settled that he would skip the race, Mathieu van der Poel has changed his mind and will line up for the Cyclocross World Cup in Benidorm.

The decision was confirmed by his team, Alpecin-Premier Tech, in a post on Instagram. “Surprise, surprise. Mathieu van der Poel will line up after all in Benidorm tomorrow. After a strong week of training, the urge to race was simply too great. Our world champion will defend his leader’s jersey in the UCI Cyclocross World Cup.”

Only a day earlier, the message had been very different. Van der Poel was expected to miss Benidorm in order to focus fully on his preparation for the rest of the season. That plan has now been torn up, replaced by a classic last-minute switch driven by instinct rather than long-term scheduling.

The late call underlines a side of Van der Poel that fans and rivals know well. Even when training is the priority, the desire to compete is never far below the surface. One good week, a race nearby, and the temptation became impossible to ignore.

This is not just a casual start or a glorified training session. By confirming that he will defend his leader’s jersey, Alpecin-Premier Tech have made clear that Van der Poel is travelling to Benidorm with more than just training in mind.

Benidorm, held in a city park with long gravel sections, is known as a dry and rapid race where large groups often stay together for longer than usual. It is very different from the heavy, muddy battles that have defined much of the winter. For Van der Poel, that makes it both an attractive challenge and a risky one, with positioning and sharp reactions often more important than raw strength.

Just days ago, the story around the Dutch team was about how they would cope without their biggest star. Now, everything flips back again.

With Van der Poel on the start list, Benidorm instantly becomes a very different race. Riders who had begun to eye a wide-open contest now face the reality of lining up against the reigning world champion, riding with the clear intention of defending his World Cup lead.

All of it comes down to one simple truth, summed up neatly by his own team. After a strong week of training, the urge to race was simply too great. And in cyclocross, when Mathieu van der Poel feels that urge, plans have a habit of changing.