Van der Poel will return to competition at Christmas

Mathieu van der Poel will once again don the world champion cyclocross jersey this season, although his winter debut is still somewhat shrouded in mystery. The manager of Alpecin-Deceuninck, Christoph Roodhooft, confirmed this Sunday on Sporza that the Dutchman will reappear around Christmas, a period traditionally filled with races and viewership.

Mathieu van der Poel will return to compete at Christmas

The uncertainty about the exact date of his debut continues, as the team will present its complete winter calendar during the presentation of the route for the 2026 World Championship in Hulst at the end of this month. However, Roodhooft's latest statements have served as the first solid clue about the world champion's plans: “We will see him in some race around Christmas”, he commented with laughter during the X2O Badkamers Trofee.

In recent weeks, there has already been speculation about an early return, with Kortrijk and Namur (December 13 and 14) as initial options. However, the most plausible dates remain the block formed by Antwerpen (December 20), Koksijde (21), and Hofstade (22), a triptych that fits better with the Dutchman's preparation for his title defense.

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For now, it only seems certain that Van der Poel will be in Hulst on January 31 to try to defend his World title and enter the history of this sport as the first cyclist in the world to achieve 8 CX World Champion titles.