Mathieu van der Poel has proven once again this season that he is the absolute cyclo-cross emperor. But the question has been hanging around the 30-year-old Dutchman for some time: how long will he continue racing?
Previously gave MVDP already knew that this may be his last cross season. ”With the World Championships in Hulst it would be great to achieve the record world titles in your own country. I’m not going to keep racing forever. There must be an end someday. I’ve always said I want to end on a high. Both on the road and in cross country,” he stated at the time.
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Later he added some more texts. ”I have always indicated that I want to stop in my own country, with the record. There is not much left for me to gain in cyclo-cross. Stopping is certainly an option, but nothing has been decided yet.” With this, the all-rounder kept his fans and actually everyone in the dark for a while.
If the day finally comes that Van der Poel hangs up his cross bike, there will probably be a new generation eager to get on board. There even seems to be a good chance that the duels between Van der Poel and Wout van Aert will be replaced by Tibor del Grosso and Thibau Nys, two boys who are already knocking on the door.
Nys versus Del Grosso as new Van der Poel versus Van Aert
Van der Poel agrees with the above idea, according to inquiries from, among others In the Leader’s jersey. In Diegem, the world champion did not make an appearance, but watched the spectacle between Del Grosso and Nys from the sofa. “I also sat there watching the new generation,” said Van der Poel.
“The fact that it is Netherlands-Belgium again will attract many people to the cross again and that is nice to see,” the glutton continued. ”We are certainly set for the coming years, but that has always been the case. When Sven Nys and Niels Albert quit, everyone said no one was coming and they now say the same about me and Wout. However, the next ones are already ready.”
Van der Poel about the new cross-generation
Clear and crisp language from Van der Poel, who concluded with words of a positive tone. ”There will always be men for whom people come to the race. But especially now with Thibau, with the family name and the supporters he already has, it is good that there is a Dutch challenger for a duel with Tibor.”
