‘Close to something historical’ – Van der Poel aiming for cyclo-cross record in 2025

Mathieu van der Poel is targeting the record of seven titles at the Cyclo-cross World Championships next year.

The 29-year-old Dutchman has six to his name with the current record set at seven, and with no signs of slowing down in his career, the Alpecin-Deceuninck rider has his sights on a seventh.

However, Van der Poel first discussed one of the finest wins of his career, in the Netherlands at the 2019 Amstel Gold.

He said of his reaction to the win: “I was a bit lost at first. I knew it hurt. I went pretty deep, so I had to lay down. I was just, it felt like a thousand people standing over me.

“It’s like a football stadium exploding while scoring a winning goal. In the moment itself, you don’t really appreciate, know what is going on. Afterwards, you see the images and it gives me goosebumps.

“It’s super difficult. I get this question quite often – what is your most beautiful victory – they all mean something to me. Some are bigger than others, but I think winning in the national jersey in the only Classic race left in the Netherlands, so maybe it was my breakthrough on the road, so that was something special. It means it was quite a big victory.”

Van der Poel was asked about what inspired him, and he replied that some of his inspiration comes from himself, but conceded that Wout van Aert provided a special challenge to be met.

He continued: “I’m used to it because I’ve already had some big appointments with cycling. In the beginning when I was younger, it got me nervous, but now, I’m kind of used to it and I think nobody puts more pressure on me than I do myself, and I want to perform. I want to win, that’s why I started racing. I really love to win.

“I’m mainly concerned with myself, but to win you have to cause the rivals [to lose]. It keeps me on my edge. The better they are the better I have to be, and I think that’s what comes in sports. With Wout van Aert, of course, everyone knows the history we have. Now, Tadej Pogacar comes to do some classic races as well sometimes, and he’s also good at that. It’s good for me, keeps me on my edge.”

Speaking of the seventh potential rival, he admitted that 2025 would be the year he attempts to reach the record number.

“I have goals but I’ve not changed this,” he answered. “I try to be the best version of myself every year and hopefully, the rest comes. I’m getting close to doing something historical and you get remembered by those kinds of things, so it will be a goal next year to try and break the record. It’s my first passion.”

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Dutch Mathieu van der Poel pictured in action during the men elite road race at the UCI World Championships Cycling, 271,1km from Edinburgh to Glasgow, Scotland

Image credit: Getty Images

He also discussed some of the toughest wins that had come his way, and he reflected on the 2023 World Championships in road racing.

In Glasgow, he crashed heavily – hurting himself and damaging a shoe in the process – but sprung back to his feet in order to get back on his bike, and ultimately claimed an impressive win.

He explained: “Instinctively, I just jumped back on the bike. I hoped everything was okay, luckily it was, and I could continue with the adrenaline. If I had to name one of my best victories, for sure this would be in the top five.

“The way it developed it was one of my hardest races. That day I felt super good and I was thinking about trying to win the World Championship. I think after winning two monuments already, becoming world champion was a year to remember. I will remember last year forever.

“The classics are a big goal again. For me, I have the same races as I did last year, and in the summer… It’s quite difficult with the Olympics, but I still aim to compete in the mountain bikes and road.”

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Van der Poel dominates to claim E3 victory after Van Aert crash

Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) stormed to a brilliant solo victory in the 2024 E3 Saxo Classic after a series of attacks in wet and windy conditions.

The first of the ‘cobbled Classics’ of 2024 was pitted as another mouth-watering duel between the Dutchman van der Poel and Wout van Aert (Visma–Lease a Bike) with the latter incidentally beating the former into second place last year.

But a blistering ride from the Van der Poel, coupled with a crash for Van Aert on the 203km ride in Flanders, Belgium, effectively decided the outcome several kilometres from the finish.

Van der Poel would throw down the gauntlet with his first attack heading up the Taaienberg with about 80km to go.

Van Aert was in hot pursuit as part of the chasing group which included Mads Pedersen (Lidl–Trek), Jasper Stuyven (Lidl–Trek) and Matteo Trentin (Tudor Pro).

World champion Van der Poel would continue to force the issue with two more attacks but his Belgian rival refused to release his grip.

Crucially however, the next Van der Poel attack on 43km came just as Van Aert went to ground on the Paterberg.

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‘He’s down!’ – Van Aert hits the deck as Van der Poel streaks clear

This allowed Van der Poel to peel away and although Van Aert would, quite remarkably, haul him back to 11 seconds at one stage, the race was now his to lose.

As the heavens opened, Van der Poel pulled clear to take the win, eventually finishing some 1’31” ahead of Stuyven in second and Van Aert crossing the line three seconds later.

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‘Right way to gain that last per cent’ – Van Aert heads to altitude in Monument quest

Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike) says “staying in the comfort zone is the easiest thing” as he takes on a new approach to try and secure elusive glory at the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix Monuments.

Van Aert, who won the cobbled Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne classic last weekend, is one of the most decorated multi-discipline cyclists of his generation, with three world cyclo-cross titles, multiple Tour de France stage wins and the Milan-San Remo Monument all on his palmares.

However, turning 30 this year, he is yet to taste triumph at arguably the two biggest events of the spring season.

And with that in mind, he is exploring a new avenue this year, departing for a 22-day high altitude training camp in Tenerife.

As such he will miss Strade Bianche – live this weekend on Eurosport and discovery+ – and Milan-San Remo on March 16.

Speaking to Flemish outlet HLN, he said: “The peloton gets stronger every year. So every year you have to be better than the year before to compete for the prizes.

“Always staying in the comfort zone is the easiest thing, but the reality is that I haven’t won the Ronde [Flanders] and Roubaix yet.

“That may not always have had to do with myself, but I did have the feeling that I could be even better during those two weekends than was the case in previous years.

“On the days of San Remo and Strade Bianche, it will be painful to watch those races on television after our training. Fortunately, I already have both great races [titles] under my belt.

“I am confident that this is the right way to gain that last per cent and achieve our goals.”

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Highlights: Tratnik snatches victory at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad

Of the decision to embark on their Spanish training camp, Benoot said: “Call it a small calculated risk. Thinking a bit out of the box.

“If you go on an altitude training camp in February, you will return very well for the opening weekend and Strade Bianche, but the Tour of Flanders will follow more than a month later. By then, the effect of that altitude stimulus in February will still be minimal.

“I firmly believe in this approach, but you have to sacrifice other courses for something you are not actually sure about because it is a step into the unknown, no matter how logical it sounds.”

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