Mathieu van der Poel received his sixth cyclocross world title in Tabor however admitted it might be his final, as his highway racing takes priority and much more significance.
Van der Poel is now only one world title away from Erik De Vlaeminck’s document of seven world championship wins, however that appears of little significance to him.
“Apart from the world title and the enjoyable, there’s not a lot left for me to achieve in cyclocross. My focus is more and more shifting to the highway,” van der Poel defined in interviews after his victory in Tabor.
29-year-old van der Poel is now the undisputed king of elite males’s cyclocross however can not resolve on his future within the self-discipline alone. He leads the Alpecin-Deceuninck crew, which positive factors numerous publicity from his cyclocross success, and he additionally earns vital begin charges.
Any remaining resolution to overlook the 2024/2025 cyclocross season consists of plenty of elements and impacts individuals. It would additionally cut back the curiosity within the winter self-discipline.
“It’s a choice that I clearly can not make alone. But we’ll focus on it inside the crew,” Van der Poel stated, explaining the largest purpose for any resolution to hold up his cyclocross bike.
“Cross within the winter is one thing that takes numerous vitality,” he stated. “If it seems that I can carry out even higher on the highway by skipping cyclo-cross, then I’ll do this.”
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Van der Poel will quickly flip his consideration to the 2024 highway racing season, however a remaining resolution on his future in cyclocross will take lots longer.
“We will know extra about my highway programme in two weeks, however not but about subsequent winter,” he laughed, deferring any expectations.
Van der Poel loved an ideal race in Tabor. He instantly hit the entrance and rode away from the sector to win by 37 seconds.
He accomplished a near-perfect cyclocross marketing campaign of 13 victories in 14 races. His solely defeat got here within the Benidorm World Cup after hitting a pole at pace, and he wished to finish on a excessive.
“It would have been a disgrace to overlook out on the world title after such a season. But a race nonetheless needs to be run, and the highest favorite has typically not received,” he stated.
“But I had good legs. I believe I primarily rode very managed and by no means took many dangers. Stones had been thrown up in lots of locations, I attempted to take these sections as rigorously as potential and pushed on the place I might.”
At the end line, Van der Poel climbed off his bike and pointed to his Canyon bike.
“That the bike did a very good job, which is essential in a cyclocross,” he concluded.