With the Benidorm cross behind him, Mathieu van der Poel is increasingly looking forward to the road. It is possible that he will achieve a scoop in that regard.
Van der Poel now only has three cyclo-cross races left before road cycling takes center stage again. Van der Poel will still race in Maasmechelen and Hoogerheide and at the World Championships in Hulst. Once all those competitions have been completed, cyclo-cross will make way for road cycling for another year.
Van der Poel is gradually having to think about his program for the road. After all, many riders announce their programs at this time of year; This is slightly different with Van der Poel, because he is still racing. Yet the decisions about which road courses he will ride in 2026 cannot wait forever.
Van der Poel’s big goals are the same again
It is clear what the big goals down the road will be for Van der Poel. They are usually the same year after year. In 2026, the specialist in classical work will definitely want to score in races such as Milan-San Remo, the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix. He won two of those three races last year.
An early start to the road season cannot be ruled out. Will we see him appear in the Flemish opening weekend? He has once ridden Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne, but has never been at the start of the Omloop. This year that could be possible. “That’s in the back of my mind, but I haven’t decided on that yet,” he says CyclingFlits.
Van der Poel thinks about the Omloop
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If Van der Poel gives the green light to participate in the Omloop, it will be an absolute first in his career. So after the crossers, the road cyclists can also have the question: will Van der Poel participate or not?
Worth a look
