Cyclocross world champion Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) has revealed the majority of his CX schedule for this winter, with a debut slated for as soon as the Namur UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup on December 14, if he is race-ready.
If he doesn't start in Namur, the Dutch star will begin his campaign the week after at the World Cup in Antwerpen, on December 20, before racing a packed schedule that features up to eight World Cups, three rounds of the X2O Badkamers Trofee, and Exact Cross Mol.
His Alpecin-Deceuninck team revealed the 13-race programme on Friday evening on social media, all building towards the World Championships in Hulst, the Netherlands on February 1.
Van der Poel, who won his seventh CX world title earlier this year, is chasing a record-breaking eighth men's elite title in February, which would put him ahead of Erik De Vlaeminck, who he is currently tied with on seven wins.
Two World Cup rounds on Van der Poel's are marked by the team as 'optional', his Namur potential debut and the Benidorm round in January.
"Important note: Namur and Benidorm remain provisional," Alpecin-Deceuninck's Instagram post explained. "Mathieu will test in the coming days whether he’ll be race-ready by 14 December (Namur), while Benidorm will depend on the progress of his road-season preparation."
Last season, Van der Poel started eight races during the cyclocross season, debuting on December 22 in Zonhoven, so is set to start slightly earlier this year. Last winter, he won every race he started.
With Van der Poel's schedule now confirmed after much anticipation and speculation, attention will turn to when he might first face long-term rival Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike). The Belgian is set to return to the 'cross field this winter, but hasn't confirmed his programme yet, though his debut is expected to be before Christmas.
Tom Pidcock (Q36.5), who has sometimes formed something of a CX trifecta with Van der Poel and Van Aert, is not set to race cyclocross this season.
Mathieu van der Poel's full cyclocross programme 2025/26
- December 14 – UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup, Namur (TBC)
- December 20 – UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup, Antwerp
- December 21 – UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup, Koksijde
- December 22 – X2O Trofee, Hofstade
- December 26 – UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup, Gavere
- December 29 – X2O Trofee, Loenhout
- January 1 – X2O Trofee, Baal
- January 2 – Exact Cross, Mol
- January 4 – UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup, Zonhoven
- January 18 – UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup, Benidorm
- January 24 – UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup, Maasmechelen
- January 25 – UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup, Hoogerheide
- February 1 – UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships, Hulst
