Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) will chase a record eighth elite cyclocross world title on home soil when the 2026 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships conclude in Hulst on Sunday, February 1. Victory would see the Dutchman surpass Erik de Vlaeminck's seven titles and make him the most decorated rider in the discipline's history.
Van der Poel enters the championship on a 23-race winning streak stretching back to early 2024. His final tune-up at Hoogerheide last weekend yielded a 51st career World Cup victory, breaking Sven Nys's all-time record, with a winning margin of 1 minute 20 seconds over the chasing group.
The women’s elite race takes place the previous day on Saturday January 31, with the Hulst ramparts expected to produce one of the most selective championships in recent years. While the Dutch team arrives with overwhelming depth, recent World Cup form has introduced uncertainty at the top, turning the race into a tactical contest rather than a foregone conclusion.
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Hulst Course: Ramparts and fortifications
Hulst’s Vestingcross has long been a World Cup fixture, and for 2026 organisers have expanded the circuit into a 3.24-kilometre lap threading through the town’s historic fortifications. While the grassy ramparts still frame the course, the defining feature is its constant interruption of rhythm rather than any single climb.
Riders face two steep climbs and descents, a 22-step staircase, a planks section, five pontoons across the moat and seven bridges of varying width, producing around 40 metres of elevation gain per lap. The sequence of obstacles forces repeated dismounts and sharp accelerations, with narrow bridge approaches and pontoon entries demanding precise line choice under fatigue.
Rather than a pure power test, the technical filter favours riders who manage repeated tempo changes efficiently and maintain flow through the obstacle-heavy middle of the lap. Longer straight sections offer brief recovery, but the cumulative load of stairs, bridges and rampart slopes is likely to shape the race more than any single selection point.
Men's favourites: Dutch leaders, Belgian depth
Van der Poel's 23-race winning streak this season has shifted focus to the contest for silver and bronze among his rivals. The Dutch squad behind him includes Tibor Del Grosso, who finished second in Hoogerheide and has been a consistent podium contender, alongside Lars van der Haar and Mees Hendrikx.
Belgium arrives without Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike), who fractured his right lateral malleolus in a crash at Zilvermeercross on January 2 and underwent surgery the following day. Tom Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers) has also opted out, prioritising his road campaign.
The Belgian challenge now rests on national champion Thibau Nys (Lidl-Trek), Niels Vandeputte (Alpecin-Deceuninck) and Michael Vanthourenhout (Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal). Vandeputte took third in Hoogerheide and carries that form into Hulst. Nys expressed frustration after finishing fourth there following a tactical misstep in the closing sprint, but his recent results indicate improving form.
Felipe Orts (Ridley Racing Team) leads the international contingent, finishing third in Benidorm and sixth in Hoogerheide and consistently breaking into the top five this season. Cameron Mason leads the British contingent after a solid World Cup block.
Women's favourites: Can Brand bounce back?
Image credit: Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com
Puck Pieterse (Netherlands) enters as the clear form rider after dominating the final World Cup rounds, combining explosive climbing power with unmatched confidence on technical descents. Her ability to open gaps on short, steep run-ups makes the Hulst fortifications an ideal hunting ground.
Lucinda Brand (Netherlands) enters as the highest finisher in last year's World Championships, where she took silver, and as this season's overall World Cup champion. However, she arrives with questions after an unusually subdued final set of World Cup races, where she appeared short of her usual late-race sharpness. If the race becomes attritional rather than explosive, Brand’s pacing and experience could still prove decisive.
Reigning champion Fem van Empel will not be defending her titles, having announced her early retirement in December.
Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado and Shirin van Anrooij provide further Dutch options, particularly if early aggression forces tactical splits. Belgium’s Marion Norbert Riberolle and France’s Amandine Fouquenet head the foreign challenge, both capable of sustained pressure if conditions turn muddy. Zoe Bäckstedt (Great Britain) is the strongest of the younger riders, with the power to survive early selections and the confidence to race aggressively on home-style terrain.
Conditions and wildcards
Forecasts indicate temperatures of 4–9°C on Saturday and Sunday with a chance of light drizzle or freezing rain transitioning to rain. If precipitation materialises, the rampart descents will become more difficult, which could lead to more mistakes late in the race. Muddy field sections would favour power riders over pure sprinters and force frequent pit stops for bike changes.
Andrew Strohmeyer leads USA Cycling's 23-athlete roster following his Pan American title and faces a deep European field. He could provide a surprise for those accustomed to the European order.
Amandine Fouquenet (France) enters as the clear women's wildcard. While she has rarely been the outright favourite this season, her recent World Cup podiums and aggressive racing style make her dangerous on a course that rewards commitment on short climbs and technical descents.
World Championship Hulst Prediction
Van der Poel's tactical approach typically involves a sharp acceleration in the second or third lap. If he establishes a 10–15 second gap on the ramparts, his technical skills on the descents make the advantage difficult to close. Barring a mechanical disaster or crash, he starts as the clear favourite for an eighth rainbow jersey.
The podium fight behind him is more open. Del Grosso's consistency and course knowledge from Dutch racing put him among the leading candidates for silver, with Vandeputte and Nys both in contention for bronze depending on how Belgium's team tactics unfold.
While on the women's side, if Pieterse establishes a small gap on the first or second ascent of the fortress banks, her descending skills make it difficult to bring her back. Brand’s best chance lies in keeping the race controlled into the final laps and forcing a test of endurance rather than explosiveness.
Men's Prediction: Van der Poel, Del Grosso, Vandeputte.
Women's Prediction: Pieterse, Brand, Fouquenet.
Cover image credit: Simon Wilkinson/SWpix.com
