Mathieu van der Poel makes history with eighth world title in multiple ways
It still has to happen, of course, but almost everyone assumes that Mathieu van der Poel will become elite cyclocross world champion for an eighth time this afternoon in Hulst. If this indeed comes true, the 31-year-old Dutchman will make cross history in several ways.
First of all, Van der Poel would then stand alone as the record holder for most world titles in cyclocross, among the elite men. The Alpecin-Premier Tech rider already matched the late Erik De Vlaeminck’s record last year in Liévin, France. His illustrious predecessor won seven elite world championships during his career, and Van der Poel’s tally may reach eight after today.
But there’s more: Van der Poel could become world champion for the tenth time at the elite level. As mentioned, he has already won seven world titles on the cyclocross bike, but he also claimed one world championship on the road (after the wildly chaotic Worlds in Glasgow) and soloed to the rainbow jersey in gravel racing in Leuven in 2024.
Today in Hulst, Van der Poel could also claim his fifteenth World Championship medal among the pros when considering various cycling disciplines. Including his medals in the youth categories, that number even rises to nineteen.
Level with Vos
As noted earlier, Van der Poel will surpass Erik De Vlaeminck with an eighth world title but will also equal Marianne Vos. The latter has already been eight-time cyclocross world champion in the elite category.
Furthermore, Van der Poel could claim his tenth world title (8x as a pro, 2x as a junior) in cyclocross and – last but not least – become the sole record holder for most medals at a cyclocross World Championship. With twelve medals, he is currently still tied for the record with Marianne Vos, the Frenchman André Dufraisse, and the German Rolf Wolfshohl.
