Ten out of ten, and if it was a 14, it was something that stayed out of reach in their cycling slang, unless a fall or mishap happened. Mathieu van der Poel looks like a true force on mud and sand, moving with the grace of a lead in a famous ballet. If the previous season on the road was shaped by a thrilling duel between the grandson of Raymond Poulidor and Wout van Aert, on the cyclocross tracks there was a single standout from December to January. He shifted the rhythm at just the right moment, and those who followed his wheel marked the ground with a clear sign of who ruled. The field could only chase after the superb form of a Dutch rider with a French lineage.
The 2023 season already shone for Van der Poel, who claimed both the cyclocross and road world titles, and the 2024 season—so far centered in the cyclocross arena—is positioned to carry on the momentum built by a core group of six remarkable riders. While Van der Poel and Van Aert join forces with Jonas Vingegaard, Tadej Pogacar, Remco Evenepoel, and Primoz Roglic, the Tour de France remains outside their immediate plan. Van der Poel is expected to feature prominently in classics and one-day races, having won Milan-San Remo and Paris-Roubaix in 2023, a victory that came 62 years after Poulidor’s triumph. He finished second in Flanders, with Pogacar delivering a striking performance there.
There is a moment when Van der Poel makes the decisive move and goes for it—he starts from line six and charges forward with a momentum that seems almost otherworldly. The moment was captured by fans and shared online as a vivid emblem of his dominance.
For the 28-year-old, the Tour is not the primary objective. Unlike his grandfather, Van der Poel has already worn the yellow Jersey in races other than the Tour. In 2024, conversations around his goals lean toward gold in mountain biking for the Paris Games and other tests beyond general classification. He has spoken about strategies far from climbing the Tourmalet early in the season, instead aiming to excel in the classic year while navigating the path through the Flemish stones and the notorious Hell of the North. The Olympic road and mountain titles, followed by the Vuelta, are all on the radar as he prepares to challenge Van Aert in Spain.
Purpose: Games
The 2024 calendar remains unreleased, but hints suggest Van der Poel may skip the Tour to pursue mountain bike glory in Paris. He has confirmed that previous mountain bike training sessions have taken place, even if a top result in the overall standings is not his current priority, with ongoing focus on daily challenges in the French round and bib placement issues.
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⭐️ Van der Poel⭐️ Van Aert⭐️Pidcock
Benidorm is set to host another year of three star performers in cyclocross. The final duel of the season unfolds on home soil.
⌛️ – 1⃣3⃣ Don’t miss it in Benidorm CX
— CX Benidorm Costa Blanca – CX World Cup 23/24
Van der Poel will compete in one more cyclocross event, the CX Benidorm, which will coincide with Van Aert and Tom Pidcock on the Costa Blanca on 21 January. This marks the seventh notable appearance for the squad. Victory, however, will demand navigating six challenging features of world cycling. He plans to relinquish his sixth world champion title in cyclocross to focus on the classic season, a year that seems to have him safely through the Flemish cobbles and the Hell of the North. The path then heads toward Olympic road and mountain titles before the Vuelta, where he will meet Van Aert in Spain’s tour debut.
Victories and event
Between December 16 and January 7, Van der Poel competed in and won 10 cyclocross races, including four World Cup rounds. Heinean, a term that captures his relentless pace, describes his ability to accelerate and leave rivals trailing. In Flanders, cyclocross is almost a religion, and Van der Poel has emerged as a figure who leaves local riders some distance behind, despite his residence in the region. An incident in Loenhout, Antwerp, where he faced fines after an exchange with fans, highlighted the intense passion that surrounds him.