Van der Poel, 'tired of training', prepares for his return to cyclocross at the World Cup in Namur

Mathieu van der Poel is already counting the days to return to competition. After several weeks focused in Spain and not racing a single event this winter, the world cyclocross champion will return to the mud at the World Cup in Namur, where it seems he will be at the starting line in nine days. This has been confirmed by Christoph Roodhooft, director of the Alpecin-Premier Tech team, who assures that the Dutchman “feels he has had enough training” and that his motivation to return to competition is total.

Van der Poel has "trained enough" and is ready to compete in Namur

The Namur event had been marked as “pending confirmation” in the Dutch calendar, just like the event in Benidorm in January, but the team is already taking his presence in the iconic climb to the Citadel for granted. 

Van der Poel has not only delayed his appearance in cyclocross due to sports planning. According to Roodhooft, after leaving the Tour de France this summer, the rider suffered from pneumonia that forced him to stop completely and regain his feelings before preparing for the season again. This ailment explains the long competitive disconnection he has had since August, when he closed his road campaign with a second place in the general classification of the Renewi Tour.

RECOMENDADO

When to skip training and rest without feeling guilty

Free aero gains for your bike: small changes that make you faster

More power, less fatigue: how nitrates could help you on the bike

An indoor trainer can do more for your training than you think: here are 7 reasons to own one

What do the colours of the rainbow jersey mean, and who was the first World Champion?

How much prize money does La Vuelta 2026 offer? Here’s what Enric Mas has earned and how it compares with the Tour and Giro

During his stay in Spain, Van der Poel has trained exclusively on the road bike, accompanied by his usual partner Freddy Ovett. He has not yet ridden the cyclocross bike and will not do so until next week, following the same preparation scheme he has used in recent years when his main goal is the World Championship.

Roodhooft sums it up clearly: “Only when Mathieu is ready, will he race in Namur.” A phrase that confirms that the team's priority is not to accumulate race numbers, but to ensure that the world champion arrives intact for the big winter event.