Mathieu van der Poels Cyclocross Calendar 2024/2025
World champion Mathieu van der Poel has announced his racing schedule for the 2024/2025 cyclocross season and is following a clear plan: he aims to secure his seventh world champion title and thereby match Erik De Vlaeminck’s record. The Dutchman has left nothing to chance, strategically planning his season with the major goal of becoming world champion in Liévin.
MVDP: “I’ve thought about it for a while”
“I’ve thought about it for a while,” explains the Alpecin-Deceuninck professional regarding his program for the 2024/2025 season. After intensive discussions with his team management and performance team, he decided on a “solid race plan.” While a more compact schedule—with only a few races and full concentration on the World Championships—would have been an option, van der Poel opts for a more extensive program: “I think it makes more sense to compete in a broader range of races.”
Van der Poel has deliberately chosen races that suit him particularly well. “And yes, I’m fortunate to have the freedom to choose the races I enjoy the most. It’s no coincidence that a few typical sand races, like Zonhoven, Mol, and Koksijde, are on the schedule.”
His racing schedule includes eleven events spanning from the Christmas period to early February. In addition to the World Championships, he will participate in a total of six World Cup races. The competition in Benidorm is not included.
Winning the 7th title at the World Championships in top form
His goal is clear: “The seventh world championship title, of course. That’s the only thing I still need to achieve in cyclocross: this unique record of Erik De Vlaeminck.” This goal was the driving force for van der Poel in planning his schedule: “The World Championship in Liévin is the only real objective, although I hope to compete for victory in all the other races I participate in. But we’ll see how I perform in the first few weeks.”
A significant change compared to previous years is the strategic reduction of races in January. “Last year, I started the season in top form, but the World Championships didn’t feel like my best race of the season,” van der Poel admits. To change that, he is focusing on a training camp this winter: “For optimal efficiency, it’s better not to interrupt it.”
“The highlight of this year will be a little later”
The Dutchman plans to deliberately build up the season slowly to be in top form in Liévin on February 2nd. “As I said, the peak this year will be a little later.”
Mathieu van der Poel’s Cyclocross Calendar for 2024/2025
December 22, 2024 – World Cup Zonhoven (Belgium)
December 23, 2024 – Superprestige Mol (Belgium)
December 26, 2024 – World Cup Gavere (Belgium)
December 27, 2024 – Exact Cross Loenhout (Belgium)
December 29, 2024 – World Cup Besancon (France)
January 1, 2025 – X2O Trofee Baal (Belgium)
January 3, 2025 – X2O Trofee Koksijde (Belgium)
January 5, 2025 – World Cup Dendermonde (Belgium)
January 25, 2025 – World Cup Maasmechelen (Belgium)
January 26, 2025 – World Cup Hoogerheide (Netherlands)
February 2, 2025 – World Championships Liévin (France)
