"You have breakfast with your girlfriend, you start your Lambo and you drive to the race": Former Dutch rider believes cyclocross remains too fun for Van der Poel to quit

Mathieu van der Poel has once again been completely unstoppable this winter, winning nine out of nine cyclocross races he has entered with insulting ease. The reigning world champion still has three World Cup races ahead in his schedule before focusing on a new road season.

His recent performances have been the topic of discussion for Laurens ten Dam and cyclocross expert Thijs Al. “I think Mathieu raced this period in a more calculated way. I don’t want to say he was riding in energy-saving mode, but in a few races you could see him observing the race a bit,” Al said in quotes collected by In de Leiderstrui.

Van der Poel always liked to launch his attack early in the race and then ride solo to the finish line. However, Al argues he has recently waited to the final laps in order to make his move. "He waited for his moment, because riding at the front for a full hour also costs a lot of energy."

Ten Dam agreed, linking the approach to lessons learned last winter. “That also has to do with the fact that Van der Poel noticed last year that cyclocross can take a big bite out of his energy, when he won 12 races in a row.”

According to Ten Dam, the strategy makes sense. “Try to win a few races on efficiency instead of constantly flexing your muscles, like Tadej Pogacar and he do in the spring. That’s something that’s clearly been thought through.”

Ten Dam noted, however, that Van der Poel had to work harder in Zonhoven, as he went solo in the first lap and no rivals could catch him. “This cost much more power than the other races he won, I think. In those, he often still waited things out in the wheels.”

Still, both Ten Dam and Al suggested that this measured approach meant Van der Poel did not need to dig deeply into his reserves. “Mathieu has felt that riding at the front for an hour has consequences,” Ten Dam said. “Maybe then you can’t train as well for a week because you’re completely exhausted. Now I think he leaves for Spain feeling fairly fresh.”

Zonhoven still provided another clear example of his absurd superiority, even when things went wrong. Van der Poel revealed after the race: “It hurt my legs because I had to ride for a long time on those flat tyres. But I didn’t panic, because I was having a good day.”

Even if he had that setback, his victory was never in doubt. Al (and all of us) was astonished. “Two flat tyres, just after the finish straight. Front and back, right? Then it’s still a very long way to the material post and he only lost 20 seconds,” he said. “He still had to go into the pit once more and he just drove into it with two flat tires. We didn't even see it! Those tubes are glued in place and can't move, but it's not fun.”

According to Al, the dominant victory said a lot about the enjoyment Van der Poel still finds in cyclocross in 2026. The question remains whether he will continue racing next winter. “Maybe he skips a year and focuses even more on the road, for example by extending his spring campaign. Maybe he wants to ride Amstel and skips a World Championship once.”

Ten Dam, on the other hand, was less convinced. “Because I can imagine that he also just really enjoys this,” he said. “You ride into a stadium in Zonhoven. You get a one-hour kick and you just drive to the race in your Lamborghini, without having to stay in a hotel. You have breakfast with your girlfriend, you start your Lambo and you drive to the race. And then you’re home again on time, isn't that nice?”

“If he decides not to race cross and extend his spring, he’ll be sitting in some hotel somewhere in Wallonia or Liège,” Ten Dam added. “That’s the alternative. I think he might then prefer to race cross for two weeks at Christmas. He gets through it quite smoothly, so I don’t think he’s even asking himself whether he should still be taking these risks.”