Lars van der Haar to call time on his career after 25/26 cyclocross season

The 34-year-old revealed his decision in a statement on social media. "This past year I found it hard to push myself in training and that made me think about whether this is still something I want to keep doing," wrote Van der Haar.

The Baloise Glowi Lions rider has amassed an impressive 41 professional victories throughout his career, with his most recent triumph coming at the Koppenbergcross in November 2023.

Van der Haar's palmarès includes two Under-23 World Championship titles and four Elite World Championship podium finishes. He claimed silver medals at the 2016 and 2022 World Championships, narrowly missing out on the coveted rainbow jersey, particularly in 2016 in Zolder, in a memorable edition won by Wout van Aert.

"I've had an amazing time on the bike for almost 25 years. It created a whole life for me," wrote Van der Haar. "I had the chance to work close with my family and friends. I've got a whole cross family and I found my wife because of cycling."

His list of achievements extends to overall series victories, having won the UCI World Cup in the 2013-14 season and the Superprestige series in 2022-23.

Van der Haar also stated that he and his partner, Lucy van der Haar (née Garner), a former British professional cyclist who was twice junior road race champion, are expecting another child at the end of the season. "We now have an amazing family with a new addition coming at the end of this season,” wrote Van der Haar.

"After a really hard and difficult period of mixed thoughts, weighing up the pros and cons, I came to the conclusion that I wanted to go for one more season and really give it everything this year and then start/find a new life and rhythm."

The timing means Van der Haar's final World Championships will take place on home soil in Hulst, the Netherlands, giving him an opportunity to celebrate his career in style. Before then, Van der Haar will be looking for plenty of strong performances in his final season, having raced four times already this campaign.

"All I can say is thank you to everyone who has helped me and supported me over the years. From Family to the spectators. Let's make this last season something special!" Van der Haar concluded in his statement.