Mathieu van der Poel enjoys cyclocross more than ever
In recent weeks, there has been much speculation about the future of eight-time world champion Mathieu van der Poel in cyclocross. Not primarily by the Alpecin-Premier Tech leader himself, as he previously mentioned he might consider a winter without cyclocross. On Sunday, he told our camera that he had not yet made a decision about it. National coach Gerben de Knegt certainly doesn’t see him stopping anytime soon.
“After the finish, I jokingly told him: eight is very nice, but ten is even nicer,” De Knegt said the day after the World Championships to WielerFlits. “As you know, he loves round numbers. But he didn’t really elaborate on that. Mathieu did say once that a winter without cyclocross might be interesting, but he hasn't said that he will actually decide to do that. Or that he will stop after next year. Ten world titles in Hoogerheide… I think that’s on his mind.”
Still, Tibor Del Grosso and Thibau Nys will get closer in the coming years. The national coach is aware of that too. “When we talked about it on Sunday, Mathieu said the successor was standing next to him and pointed to Tibor. Mathieu is the ultimate winner. If at some point during a season he starts to lose, I can imagine he wouldn't find that so great. But I don’t think it will come to that soon. Mathieu is only ‘just’ 31 years old. Normally, his best years are right now.”
“He has also said several times that he wants to stop at an absolute high point,” De Knegt continues. “The coming years will have to show when that will be. But on paper, he can definitely keep going for a while. He himself says that he finds cyclocross more fun than ever. The only question is how much decline is setting in. If you look at him now, he’s glowing with health. He looks super fit. If he keeps enjoying the sport, we should just cherish that someone with his palmarès races cyclocross in winter.”
Upcoming races for 
Mathieu van der Poel
No races scheduled
