Adri van der Poel has indicated that the 2026 UCI Cyclocross World Championships in Hulst could mark a turning point for Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck), with a full winter off from the discipline now under serious consideration.
In an interview with Het Laatste Nieuws published on January 24, 2026, hours before Van der Poel sealed his record-equalling 50th World Cup win in Maasmechelen, Adri identified psychological fatigue as the primary factor behind the potential shift. The burden, he explained, stems not from the 60-minute race itself but from the exhaustive process surrounding each appearance. "It starts early in the morning and ends late at night," Adri said. The early morning activation, travel to venues, technical preparation, anti-doping controls lasting up to 90 minutes, media obligations and late-evening recovery.
"Once it creeps into your mind, you are actually already quitting," Adri told HLN.
He added that a winter away from competition, and training in Spain, could benefit him. Spain "always boosts his morale," Adri said. While his cyclocross dominance may seem stress-free, the expectation generates its own pressures.
"You know, if your name is Van der Poel, Van Aert, Pidcock, or Nys, you can't afford to just take it easy and ride without a result in mind," he said.
The record and exit point
Mathieu is pursuing a record-breaking eighth world title in Hulst, which would surpass Erik De Vlaeminck's seven. That milestone, according to his entourage, has been discussed as a possible endpoint for his cyclocross participation.
"If I am world champion in Hulst, I have the choice to do it there," Mathieu said in a recent interview.
His race planning has also changed. Adri noted that his son has observed Tadej Pogačar's dominance in the Spring Classics without the strain of a winter cyclocross campaign.
"Tadej also doesn't cross and he also rides a strong spring," Adri said, relaying Mathieu's reasoning in a December interview with IDL Pro Cycling.
Team manager Philip Roodhooft, who previously viewed cyclocross as a competitive springboard, has placed increasing emphasis on road racing. The intensive Christmas period of Belgian racing, once considered essential preparation, is now being weighed against the goal of peak form for the Monuments and Grand Tours.
The decision will depend partly on Mathieu's road calendar. If he races the Vuelta a España (which would be a debut for the Dutch rider) and Italian autumn classics through mid-October, a cyclocross winter becomes much less appealing. An earlier finish would leave a gap that cyclocross competition helps fill.
Organisers currently promote events around Van der Poel's presence, and his departure would could create a challenging gap in audience interest.
