For Mathieu van der Poel, this cyclo-cross winter is going as usual. Every race in which he started, he also crossed the line first. And yet the Dutchman is thinking about gradually saying goodbye to cross-country, temporarily or otherwise.
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Van der Poel is thinking about quitting
Van der Poel made this clear just before the Christmas period. “With the World Championships in Hulst, it would be nice to achieve the record world titles in my own country. I am not going to keep racing forever. There has to be an end someday. I have always said that I want to end on a high. Both on the road and in the cross,” it sounded clear.
“I have always indicated that I want to stop in my own country, with the record. Stopping is certainly an option, but nothing has been decided yet. I have always said that I want to end something on a beautiful note. That would be the case in Hulst,” Van der Poel said about a month ago.
De Cauwer shares his fears
His father Adrie van der Poel has already indicated that Mathieu would soon dare to plan a winter without cross. And José De Cauwer also has the same idea. “I think there will sometimes be a winter without a cross, yes,” he was clear to Sporza.
De Cauwer is clearly referring to a temporary farewell, with spring on the road logically being cited as the main reason. “The battle with Pogacar is a very difficult thing. I hope that Mathieu, like Van Aert and others, wonders whether he can still improve somewhere.”
Although De Cauwer hopes – just like father Adrie – that Mathieu does not choose to skip the winter of 2028. After all, the World Championships will then be held in Hoogerheide, partly under the organization of Van der Poel Sr.
