World Cup fever hits cyclocross, Mathieu van der Poel admits to "arrange my schedule around the games"
Cyclocross
The World Cup is one of the most important sports events in the world and it is currently taking over the spotlight this November. After the cyclocross World Cup race in Hulst, some of the main headliners of the race have been asked regarding the ongoing competition.
Sporza has asked Eli Iserbyt, Mathieu van der Poel, Michael Vanthourenhout and Tom Pidcock abount the competition. 'How hard is the World Championship for cyclo-cross riders?' the Belgian news outlet asked. "It was hard on me, I watched Argentina against Mexico and it was worth it. It lives more than I expected," Iserbyt responded. As for Mathieu van der Poel, he admitted to be quite into the action: "You have to ask the crossers that, hey! It's hard for me, I always like to follow it. I've only missed two games, I think. I'm trying to arrange my schedule around the games."
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Michael Vanthourenhout and Tom Pidcock have not been as tightly following the matches, however the European Champion says that "I will certainly follow it. I am also always well informed about the Belgian league. It is a more important day when the Belgians play." As for Tom Pidcock, who abandoned the race some minutes earlier, he answered: "I've followed it a bit. I'm not really a football fanatic, but at the World Cup I always follow it."
The riders had mixed reactions on the early morning cross in Hulst, but overall there were no general complaints. The Dutch and Belgian authorities combined the schedule so that sports fans would be able to follow the race in Hulst, and then watch the Belgium - Morocco match right afterwards, in which the European nation was defeated. World Cup racing in Cyclocross will resume next week in Antwerp, Belgium.
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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.
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- the 6th TDF is a more record breaking opportunity than a 2nd Giro. Jonas can double up. For Remco its TDF. For Sexias it will be a good opportunity but as usual TDF will be his main goal For del Toro, yes good opportunityabstractengineer04-11-2026
- Well, this is something which isn't all that common
Rafionain-Glas03-11-2026 - He lives in Monaco
Rafionain-Glas03-11-2026 - It's also highly significant for Lorenzo Finn as he won there last year. Also Mateo Ramírez and Henrique Bravo if they go
Rafionain-Glas03-11-2026 - This is a phenomenal course design. I do wish that they'd stretch these tours for the women to at least 2 weeks.RidesHills03-11-2026
- This is an amazing route, honestly. Let's hope that it attracts riders to make it a compelling and competitive race. Side bar amusement: going to Slovenia and passing pretty close to Pogačar's house. I wonder if they were tempting him to get all 3 jerseys at once after winning the Tour and Vuelta. After all, only a very few have ever had all three at the same time (Froome being the last).RidesHills03-11-2026
- He was a child two years ago
Rafionain-Glas03-11-2026 - A great route aswell. Col d'Arpy is a toughie
Rafionain-Glas03-11-2026 - Let Torito have a shot at it
Rafionain-Glas03-11-2026 - A great route, much more exciting than the Tour de France. Monte Livata is an interesting one, because they experimented with it at the 2026 Baby Giro, and it was fantastic. 4 km at 10%, then 10 km at 6.5% made for a great spectacle. The stage 16 is horrible. Montaner is also used in the U23s, in Giro del Belvedere
Rafionain-Glas03-11-2026
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BIG day in Hulst for Round 7️⃣ 👊 Check out more 📸 from some epic cross action 👉 bit.ly/CXWCHulstPhotos #CXWorldCup
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