Van der Poel sets a date for his retirement: "2028 could be a good final point"

Mathieu van der Poel is facing a new Tour de France these days, but he is also starting to look beyond his sporting career. At 31 years old, the Dutchman has acknowledged that he is already considering when the time might come to hang up his bike and has pointed to a date that fits perfectly with his plans: the 2028 season.

Mathieu van der Poel is already thinking about retirement: he sets a date for his possible farewell and points to Los Angeles 2028 as his last major goal

In an interview with the Belgian newspaper Het Nieuwsblad, Van der Poel spoke openly about his future and made it clear that the end of his current contract with Alpecin-Deceuninck could coincide with the end of his professional career.

“I think 2028 could be a good endpoint. By then I will be 33 years old, a good age to retire. But nothing is decided yet. If in 2028 I still have the level and I am still enjoying this, then everything will still be possible”.

These statements come as the Dutchman continues to rack up successes in practically all the disciplines he has touched. Since winning his first Junior World Championship in 2012, Van der Poel has built one of the most complete palmarès in modern cycling, with world titles in road, gravel, and a historic dominance in cyclocross.

The Los Angeles Olympic Games, a pending obsession

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Although his curriculum seems almost impossible to complete, there is still one major goal that eludes him. Van der Poel has never achieved a world title in XCO and has also not won an Olympic medal in mountain biking, a discipline he has been dreaming of succeeding in for years.

That is why the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games appear as a priority objective and could even completely alter his schedule for that season.

“Los Angeles will basically be my last opportunity, so a summer without the Tour de France is totally on the table. In that case, I would focus my preparation on mountain biking after spring”.

The possibility that Van der Poel might skip the Tour de France to specifically prepare for the Olympic event reflects just how much he considers that race as one of the major unfinished business of his career.

The weight of being a global star

Although there are still at least two seasons before that moment arrives, the Dutch rider also acknowledged that life at the highest level increasingly demands more sacrifices off the bike.

“I still love cycling, but everything that comes with it has become quite intense”.

This is an unusual reflection from one of the most media-savvy cyclists on the planet and shows how pressure, commitments, and public exposure also influence the consideration of retirement.

Despite these reflections on the future, Van der Poel's immediate attention is focused on the 2026 Tour de France. The Dutchman will once again share leadership with Jasper Philipsen, combining the search for stage victories with the work to help his teammate fight for the green jersey.

In fact, Van der Poel himself acknowledged in Het Nieuwsblad that Philipsen remains the team's main asset in mass finishes.

“In eight out of ten finishes, Jasper is faster than I am”.

Moreover, Van der Poel has already acknowledged in recent days that the early stages of the Tour are one of his major goals and that he would like to wear the yellow jersey again, a garment he won in his debut at the Grande Boucle in 2021 and that still holds a special place in his career.