MVDP Returns: Van der Poel Reveals 13-Race Cyclocross Schedule Targeting Record Eighth World Title

👑 The waiting game is officially over. Cyclocross world champion Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) has unveiled the outline of his ambitious 2025-26 cyclocross season schedule, confirming a tightly packed block of racing concentrated on defending his title and chasing history.

The Dutch superstar’s program, announced by his Alpecin-Deceuninck team on Friday evening, features a potential maximum of 13 races, all geared towards the ultimate goal: securing an unprecedented eighth elite men’s Cyclocross World Championship title on home soil in Hulst, Netherlands, on February 1.

The Conditional Debut: Namur on December 14th

Van der Poel’s season debut is penciled in for the prestigious UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup round in Namur on December 14th. However, the World Champion’s first start remains conditional. The team specified that the Namur start hinges entirely on whether he deems himself fully race-ready following his recent break and road-season training transition.

Should he require a few extra days of preparation, the start line will shift one week later to the always-electric World Cup in Antwerp on December 20th. This second date is also notable as it marks the first confirmed clash with his great rival, Wout van Aert, whose own schedule begins in Antwerp.

The Kerstperiode Grind and World Cup Focus

Regardless of his starting date, Van der Poel is set for an intense end to the year. His calendar prioritizes the UCI World Cup series, with appearances planned at up to eight rounds, capitalizing on the densely scheduled Kerstperiode (Christmas period) in Belgium.

The confirmed schedule is a deep dive into the classic Belgian mud and sand, featuring:

* Eight World Cup rounds (Antwerp, Koksijde, Gavere, Zonhoven, Maasmechelen, Hoogerheide, plus the conditional Namur and Benidorm).

* Three X2O Badkamers Trofee events (Hofstade, Loenhout, and the traditional New Year’s Day classic in Baal).

 * One Exact Cross round in Mol.

This concentration of racing—with nearly a dozen starts jammed between December 20th and January 4th—ensures the CX World Champion will achieve peak fitness just in time for the record-breaking attempt in Hulst.

History Beckons in Hulst

The entire winter is built around the World Championships in Hulst. Van der Poel is currently tied with the legendary Belgian Eric De Vlaeminck with seven elite men’s titles. A win on February 1st would not only defend his rainbow jersey but cement his status as the undisputed most successful male elite cyclocross racer of all time.

While two races—Namur and the mid-January World Cup in Benidorm—are still marked as provisional, the core of the MVDP cyclocross schedule is locked in. The cycling world can now eagerly anticipate the champion’s return to the mud, which is set to significantly raise the intensity and excitement of the cyclocross season in just a few short weeks.