Mathieu van der Poel will make his long-awaited return to cyclocross this Sunday at the World Cup round in Namur, stepping back into competition after ending his summer season at the Mountain Bike World Championships in mid-September. As ever, his comeback immediately reshapes the balance of the winter, even before a pedal has been turned.
The reigning world champion begins a planned 13-race programme that builds steadily towards the world championships in Hulst at the end of January. There, on home soil in the Netherlands, Van der Poel has the chance to claim a record eighth cyclocross rainbow jersey, moving clear of Eric De Vlaeminck’s long-standing mark of seven.
‘Everything points to Thibau Nys being the new benchmark’
Despite his own status at the top of the sport, Van der Poel has been quick to acknowledge how the early part of the season has developed in his absence. Thibau Nys has won his last three races and dominated the opening two rounds of the World Cup, performances that have not gone unnoticed.
“Since I was usually on the bike myself, I didn’t follow it too closely,” Van der Poel said, speaking via his team. “Everything points to Thibau Nys being a bit of a new benchmark.”
Nys finished third at last season’s world championships behind Van der Poel and Wout van Aert, and his progress this winter suggests he has taken another clear step forward. Namur will offer the first direct comparison between the established ruler of the discipline and the rider many now see as his most consistent challenger.
Ready to fight immediately
Van der Poel insists he is ready to compete for victory straight away, even if his preparation has followed a familiar minimalist pattern. He has trained on his cyclocross bike just twice so far, this time aboard a new silver Canyon machine unveiled earlier in the week.
“That’s not much, but it was no different last year, and in the end it turned out to be enough,” he said. “Hopefully, it will be enough this time too.”
There is a note of caution in his own assessment of form. “Expectations can be high, and I set them high myself. Although I personally think I’m still a per cent lower than last year,” Van der Poel admitted. “Still, it should be enough to immediately compete for the win.”
After a difficult end to his road season, including pneumonia during the Tour de France and a subdued mountain bike worlds, Namur will be the first real test of where he stands physically. His Alpecin-Deceuninck team, however, has been clear that training has gone smoothly and that he is ready to race.
A crowded field, but familiar names
Namur rarely offers easy victories, and Van der Poel was quick to underline the depth of competition on a course known for its brutal climbs and technical demands.
“Specifically for Namur, you always have to mention Michael Vanthourenhout and Toon Aerts,” he said. “And Cameron Mason has taken a step. There are plenty of challengers.”
Wout van Aert, his great rival of the past decade, will not be present in Namur and is set to make his seasonal debut a week later in Antwerp. While the two are expected to face each other several times over the Christmas period, Van der Poel has made it clear that Hulst, rather than any head-to-head battle, remains the focal point of his winter.
“The world championships in Hulst are the absolute main goal,” he said. “The fact that I can become the sole record holder is a direct consequence, not the goal in itself.”
Rivals brace for impact
Among the regulars, expectations are tempered by experience. European champion Toon Aerts was candid about what Van der Poel’s return usually means.
“We know that from now until the world championships, we’re racing for second place,” Aerts said. “I have no illusions about that.”
Lars van der Haar echoed the sentiment, even while stressing the importance of trying to get close. “If you simply look at history, you know that the victories are gone once Van der Poel joins,” he said. “But that doesn’t stop you from trying.”
Both riders pointed to Namur as one of the few courses where Van der Poel might not disappear immediately, suggesting the terrain could delay a decisive move by a few laps. Even so, neither expects restraint for long.
“That uphill start in Namur suits him,” Aerts said. “He can definitely get away from there. After all those hours of training in Spain, he’ll have a tempo like that in his legs.”
A familiar question returns
Van der Poel arrives in Namur carrying an 11-race winning streak that stretches back to January 2024, and in 23 of his last 25 cyclocross starts, the only uncertainty has been the margin of victory. History suggests that even a less-than-perfect version of the Dutchman is often more than enough.
As the season enters a new phase, the question facing the rest of the field is a familiar one. Not whether Mathieu van der Poel can win again, but who, if anyone, can stay close enough to make him work for it.
