Cycling fans eagerly await the return of cyclocross icons
Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert to the field, wondering if and when the
two might clash again in the discipline this season. Both riders are coming off
intense road campaigns, each facing unique challenges and successes that may
influence their cyclocross plans.
For van der Poel, the 2024 season has been a whirlwind.
Recently, he clinched his eighth overall rainbow jersey in gravel, adding to an
impressive year that saw him win two Monuments in the spring. Reports from Het
Nieuwsblad even suggest that the gravel world champion is set to compete in
a half marathon in November, further showcasing his versatility. With six
cyclocross world titles to his name, van der Poel is just one title away from
equalling the record held by Erik De Vlaeminck, a milestone that could bring
him back to cyclocross this season. However, as last year proved, van der
Poel’s participation is often a late decision; he only confirmed his cyclocross
return in December.
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Commenting on van der Poel's 2024 season aspirations, José
De Cauwer noted in Sporza that he foresees great opportunities for the
Dutchman at the Tour de France in 2025. “In next year's Tour I do see a lot of
opportunities for punchers like Van der Poel and riders over 70 kilograms.
Especially in that long first week. Many of those stages are labelled ‘sprint’,
but there are often climbs towards the end of those stages.” Despite his
decorated career, van der Poel still has just one Tour de France stage win,
earned back in 2021, a statistic he’ll likely be eager to improve.
In de Leiderstrui have reported that Belgian fans may see van Aert back in action sooner. The
Belgian had a difficult 2024 with two significant injuries, one in the spring
and another sustained while leading both the green and mountains jerseys in the
Vuelta a España this September, van Aert's 2024 season has been a challenging
one. Still, speculation suggests a potentially earlier return than last year,
when he began his cyclocross season on December 9th at the Exact Cross in
Essen.
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Currently, van Aert is focused on his recovery, with
promising signs reported based on his recent Strava training sessions. Like van
der Poel, he also has eyes set on a successful 2025 Tour de France, hoping to
secure his first stage win since 2022.
As fans await official announcements, the prospect of seeing
these two rivals compete once again on the cyclocross course remains thrilling.
Their return promises to electrify the cyclocross season, adding yet another
chapter to their storied rivalry.
Fin MajorCycling Journalist
Fin Major is a UK-based writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2024. He is the site’s main writer for FAQs and evergreen explainers and has written around 2,000 pieces for the platform. Alongside this work, he focuses on in-depth analysis and covers the biggest races on the calendar, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, providing clear context around performance trends, tactics, and key storylines.
In his reporting, Fin uses reputable data sources such as ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. Outside of writing, Fin is an active cyclist, which supports his practical understanding of the sport and its demands.
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- 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
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