Van Aert shocked by Van der Poel’s cyclocross retirement hints
Wout van Aert has acknowledged that Mathieu van der Poel’s recent comments about a possible cyclocross farewell caught him off guard. Speaking after the X2O Cross in Hofstade, the Belgian admitted the news made him pause, even if he can understand the logic behind it.
After finishing second in Hofstade behind Mathieu van der Poel, Van Aert reflected on the remarks that sparked widespread discussion. “I was definitely a bit shocked when I read it,” he told several media, including VTM. “But at the same time, I can understand it. He has nothing left to win in cyclocross.”
Van der Poel reignited retirement talk over the weekend with comments about his future in the discipline. After his victory in Antwerp, he hinted to AD that the end of his cyclocross career may not be far away. A day later, speaking to HLN, he confirmed the thought had been lingering. “It is something I think about, yes.”
Rather than questioning his motivation or love for the sport, Van der Poel framed the issue around timing, legacy and energy. He has long spoken about the appeal of finishing in his home country, ideally while adding another milestone to his record.
“I have always said it would be very nice to stop in my own country with the record. For the rest, there would not be much more left for me to achieve in cyclocross,” he said. The record he is referring to is an eighth elite world title, which would move him clear of Eric De Vlaeminck and leave him alone at the top of the all time list, rather than tied on seven.
Van Aert related to that internal debate, while stressing that Van der Poel’s position is unique. “I sometimes have that feeling myself, but of course Mathieu experiences it on a completely different level,” he said. “It would be beautiful if he can take that record.”
At the same time, Van Aert emphasised the emotional pull that still brings him back to the mud each winter. “When I look at myself, I still really enjoy coming back every winter,” he added. “I can imagine that he still gets a lot of pleasure from it as well. We will all wait and see what happens.”
As for his own future, Wout van Aert made it clear that retirement is not on his mind. “Am I thinking about stepping away from cyclocross myself? No, I haven’t thought about that yet,” he concluded with a smile.
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