Van der Poel could quit CX after the Tabor World Championship
With just a few days left until the 2024 CX World Championship taking place in Tabor, statements from Mathieu van der Poel once again leave in the air the continuity of the Dutch genius in cyclocross for the upcoming winter due to the increasing importance for him to perform at his best in the spring classics.
Van der Poel leaves his future in the air on the eve of the 2024 CX World Championship
A few months ago, speculation began about the continuity of the participation of the two best cyclocross riders of the last decade, Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel on the mud when their extremely reduced race calendar for this 2024 season was known. In fact, of the big three, as the trio Van Aert, Van der Poel, Pidcock is known, only Mathieu van der Poel will take part in the 2024 CX World Championship, trying to revalidate the title on his Canyon Inflite CF SLX.
In fact, Van der Poel was adamant "if I don't win in Tabor I can't say it's been a successful winter", despite having dominated all the races he has competed in and, only in the World Cup race in Benidorm, where he suffered a fall in the final stages of the race, when he was in a position to fight for victory with Wout van Aert, prevented him from maintaining his full victories.
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In any case, Mathieu van der Poel pulls from the calm character he showed in a recent interview "I've done everything I had to do, I'm not going to get nervous", referring to the hypothetical case in which he does not succeed in the 2024 CX World Championship.
The fact that the 2024 CX World Championship is held in Tabor, where Mathieu van der Poel won his first rainbow jersey in the elite category in 2015 against his archrival Wout van Aert gives a sense of end of cycle, as if closing the circle in what would be his sixth title.
In fact, Van der Poel is clear about competing in cyclocross during the winter "I don't think this will bring me much for the spring. It's not the ideal training, 5 or 6 hours is better" so again, when next fall comes he says he will consider what to do about cyclocross.
In any case, Mathieu van der Poel has always confessed that he competed in cyclocross for enjoyment, although the change this season, where the races he has won have barely been stages on the way to his only goal, the 2024 CX World Championship, clearly leave in the air the continuity of the Dutch champion in the discipline. However, we cannot ignore one detail. If next Sunday Mathieu van der Poel wins the 2024 CX World Championship he will be just one title away from matching the record of 7 victories held by Eric De Vlaeminck, a too attractive candy for a born competitor like Van der Poel.
If you want to know where to watch the 2024 CX World Championship, be sure to check our special on it where we tell you all the schedules of the races that will be held over the weekend and who could spoil the party for Mathieu van der Poel.