Gerben de Knegt frames Mathieu van der Poel's eighth world title: "That was an untouchable record"

The Netherlands can look back on a very successful 2026 Cyclocross World Championships on home soil. National coach Gerben de Knegt saw his selections claim five of the seven world titles, and in addition, Mathieu van der Poel took the record from Eric De Vlaeminck with his eighth rainbow jersey in cyclocross. With WielerFlits, De Knegt outlines the key takeaways from the World Championships.

In five of the seven championships a gold medal: did you manage to get all the medals you had in mind beforehand?
“This was the maximum. We were in a strong position in all categories, but it still had to be delivered. Delano Heeren was really a surprise, for me the biggest of the weekend. You hope that boy can get a medal; I had him estimated somewhere between third and fifth place. So winning was of course a huge surprise. In the under-23 women’s race, Leonie Bentveld was widely regarded as a top favorite by many people, but she hadn’t been in great form in recent weeks. Even so, she rode beautifully to claim the world title.

In the elite women’s race, you know you can take a 1-2-3 finish, but in recent weeks that seemed not so straightforward either. You pretty much have to count on Mathieu, though I always keep in mind that he shouldn’t crash or have bad luck. In the Mixed Relay, you could clearly see that France and Italy were strong opponents on paper. Isis Versluis broke her finger in that crash, and it could have ended differently as well. Because of that, Isis couldn’t start her individual race, which was very unfortunate. It’s a prime example of why most riders are reluctant to race the Mixed Relay."

"Still, she leaves the World Championships with her head held high and a world title, even though Isis also had medal opportunities in the junior women’s race. Winning the Relay immediately created a great vibe in the hotel. Everyone came back enthusiastic; everyone followed it closely. No one wants to be outdone. Leonie immediately took the pressure off herself there. For the Netherlands, it is really the case that if we don’t win, we literally lose. We don’t just get a silver medal, for example. It was also nice that Tibor Del Grosso participated. He’s really a fan of the Mixed Relay and enjoys taking part. He’s really the one who drives it forward.”

What influence did the home crowd have on the riders this weekend?
“In all discussions, I made it clear that everyone had to enjoy it. It’s really something special, I know from experience. You don’t get to experience a World Championships at home very often. I told everyone they could get into a positive flow because of that. Everyone is cheering in orange. That message really landed in the group. You could really see that Leonie Bentveld and Lucinda Brand were carried by the crowd to their victories. That’s really awesome!”

How special was the king’s visit for you?
“I’ve had the honor of meeting him several times. Last year, during the Olympic Games, for example, he was also at our hotel. But it was definitely nice. The medal winners also had a meeting with the king, which was special. You could feel that the crowd got energized when he was there. Willem-Alexander himself also has a mountain bike. He is genuinely interested and knows a lot. I didn’t get the sense that anyone had persuaded him to come here. It seemed to be his own choice to come to Hulst. That was a nice touch.”

Of course, there was the eighth world title for Mathieu: did that affect you in a special way?
“That’s a big word, but it really resonated. Also for him. There’s often a discussion about who is the best or greatest cyclocrosser ever. I’ve been involved in cyclocross for quite a long time. Eric De Vlaeminck’s seven world titles was an untouchable record. And now it’s in Mathieu’s hands. You can fill in the definition yourself. It’s truly unique, especially on home soil. That makes it extra special for Mathieu. He left nothing to chance. We have to have great respect for someone with such a huge palmarès still going for it.”

What’s your secret? Since you became national coach, 29 gold medals since the 2017 World Championships.
“Nice, huh? I saw on your site on Sunday that the Netherlands has actually dominated Belgium for the past ten years. People say Belgium is the cyclocross country, but I always say that it’s us. People look at me strangely, but I was glad the stats back that up. My secret? I just stand there with my hands in my pockets and do absolutely nothing, haha! You really have to ask someone else that; I can’t say anything about it myself. 

I am someone who always tries to create a good atmosphere and manages the logistics down to the smallest detail. I have a good bond with many riders. If you zoom out and look at how the Netherlands is doing in cyclocross with training facilities and coaches, a lot of people do great work. That certainly contributes to the success, definitely.”