When does Van der Poel start his cyclocross season?

Mathieu van der Poel has returned to training after his vacation period and is already preparing for his return to winter discipline after a break since the MTB World Championships. In a recent interview, his director, Christoph Roodhooft, talks about the Dutchman's schedule and confirms that the injury of Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado is progressing favorably.

Van der Poel will reveal his cyclocross calendar during the presentation of the Hulst World Championships

With the cyclocross season already underway, all eyes are on the return of Mathieu van der Poel, whose return to the mud remains a mystery. The reigning world champion has not competed since September 14, when he ended his year after the mountain bike World Championships. Since then, he has enjoyed a vacation in the United States and has gradually resumed training.

"He had a good vacation and is already training for his cyclocross campaign," explained Christoph Roodhooft, director of the Alpecin-Deceuninck team, during a race in Heerde.

Roodhooft himself confirmed that the Dutchman's schedule will be announced during the official presentation of the Hulst World Championships, in the Netherlands at the end of November: "We plan to announce it then," he revealed.

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So everything points to the fact that he could start his cyclocross calendar in December, and what does seem confirmed is that Van der Poel's main goal in the coming months will be the 2026 Cyclocross World Championships which will take place from January 30 to February 1 in the Netherlands. If he were to retain his rainbow jersey there, Van der Poel would make history in cyclocross by becoming the only holder of the record with eight world titles.

In the women's section, the team led by the Roodhooft brothers also received good news. Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado, who had to delay the start of her season due to a knee injury, has returned to training normally: "She is improving. Last week she was able to participate for the first time in a full cyclocross session with the group. Everything is starting to come together," stated Roodhooft. "It was a significant setback, but the progress is positive."

Meanwhile, Van der Poel is sharing some of his preseason training sessions in Spain on his social media. The latest was a 13 km run at 4:36 min/km alongside former cyclist Van Avermaet.