Mathieu van der Poel has revealed his keenly anticipated cyclocross schedule for 2024-2025, which will culminate with a bid to equal Erik de Vlaeminck’s record total of seven World Championships titles in Lievín, France next February 2.

The Alpecin-Deceuninck rider will make his cyclocross debut on December 22 in the World Cup at Zonhoven. He will cross swords with arch-rival Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike) for the first time this season just 24 hours later in the Superprestige event at Mol.

 

Van der Poel’s slightly shortened winter cyclocross program will contain 11 races with one notable absence being the Benidorm World Cup in Spain, where the Dutch star fought, and lost, a ferocious duel against Van Aert last January.

In total, Van der Poel will ride two fewer cyclocross races than in 2023-2024, when he took part in 13. Both Van der Poel and Van Aert will focus on the spring Classics on the road in early 2025 and attend key training camps with their teams. Cyclocross has become less of a priority for both. Van Aert has revealed he will ride just six cyclocross races this winter and not ride the World Championships.

Van der Poel said his overriding goal is defending his world title next February, which if successful would constitute a record-equalling seventh victory in that category.