Lamborghini, Christmas tree, and new bike: Van der Poel is ready to start

Mathieu van der Poel has already activated the countdown for his return to cyclocross, and he has done so with a striking post alongside his Lamborghini. The Dutchman, an ambassador for the Italian brand for a couple of years now, has once again made his car the star with a video published on social media that has not gone unnoticed by anyone.

Van der Poel kicks off his cyclocross campaign with his Lamborghini as the opener

The images show Van der Poel after a training session, changing shoes and starting what appears to be a yellow Lamborghini Huracan Sterrato, with a striking detail of a Christmas tree on the roof, alongside his new Canyon Inflite CF SLX that he has just debuted. A nod to a relationship with the brand that goes far beyond his personal sponsorship.

Van der Poel has already starred in a video before with Lamborghini and it is common to see him arrive at cyclocross races driving different models, to the point that at many circuits there are fans who come early to see “what car MVDP arrives in today.”

 

 

 

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Beyond the anecdote, the video serves as a prelude to his anticipated return to competition. Van der Poel will reappear this Sunday at the Citadelcross in Namur, one of the most demanding and technical events on the calendar, and he will do so after closing his road and MTB season in mid-September. After almost a month away from the bike and a preparation split between Belgium and Spain, the world champion acknowledges that he is eager to wear a number again, even a week earlier than last year.

However, Van der Poel himself has slightly lowered expectations. In statements prior to the race, he has assured that at this moment he feels “a little below” how he was at this time last year, although he trusts that it will be enough to be fighting for victory from the first day. His plan is to compete in between 12 and 13 cyclocross events this winter, choosing courses that particularly motivate him and taking advantage of his stay in Belgium to compete more and train less.

As for the competition, the Dutchman points directly to Thibau Nys as the current reference of the peloton, not forgetting regular specialists in Namur like Michael Vanthourenhout or Toon Aerts, nor the progression of riders like Cameron Mason. Wout van Aert, as usual, will arrive later: his first duel of the winter is not expected until the World Cup in Antwerp.

With the World Championship in Hulst marked in red as the main objective of the season, and with the possibility of becoming the only rider with eight titles, Van der Poel faces his return without drama, but with intact ambition. And in the meantime, between training, viral videos, and arrivals in supercars, he continues to feed that special aura that surrounds each of his appearances in the mud.