Mathieu van der Poel will ride 11 cyclocross races over a shortened, six-week, campaign, his team has now confirmed. And that short burst of racing action will conclude with him trying to defend the world title he won almost 12 months ago.
He will begin his winter season at the Zonhoven round of the UCI Cyclocross World Cup on December 22nd and will race up to the Worlds in Liévin on February 2nd.
"I reflected on it for a while," said Van der Poel of his schedule. "After careful consideration and discussions with the team management and performance staff, I decided on a solid schedule of races.
"A more compact program of, say, two World Cup races combined with the World Championships was another option, but I think it makes more sense to do a more extensive package of races."
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"Once that decision was made, I quickly mapped out the races I wanted to include. And yes, I’m fortunate to have the freedom to choose the races I enjoy most. It is no coincidence that with Zonhoven, Mol and Koksijde there are a few typical sand races on the menu."
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Van der Poel has decided to skip the Benidorm round of the World as he plans to be away from cyclocross action for two weekends in January.
"We are taking a slightly different approach this winter. Last year, I started the season in top form, but the World Championships were not my very best race of the season in terms of feeling," Van der Poel explained.
"Now we are really trying to peak at the Worlds by focusing on specific preparations during a training camp. For optimal efficiency, it’s better not to interrupt it.
"The seventh world title, of course. It is the only thing I still have to achieve in CX: this unique record of Erik De Vlaeminck. This aspiration has been a driving force in shaping my commitment to this winter's cyclocross season.
"The world championship in Liévin is the only real goal, although I hope to fight for victory in all the other races I take part in. But we'll see how I do in the first weeks. As I said, the peak will be a bit later this year."
