"One last spin in the stars": What notable absentees Pogaçar and Van der Poel did on the day of the European Championships
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Follow us on GoogleTadej Pogaçar and Mathieu van der Poel were absent from the 2026 European Cycling Championships in Slovenia today. Pogaçar, much to his own disappointment, still out with an injury, while Van der Poel decided on his own after the World Championships that his season was over. So what were they up to on Sunday? Instagram provided the answer.
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Van der Poel enjoyed his down time in last months before becoming a father
Van der Poel was spotted on the golf course, where we’ve seen him so often in recent years. Under a clear blue sky, the Dutchman was enjoying his offseason, which began after the World Championships.
It’s going to be a busy winter for Van der Poel, who is expecting a baby with his wife Roxanne in late January. It seems with this trip he is making the most of the last few months before father duties are added to his responsibilities.
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The question remains whether Van der Poel will get back on his cyclocross bike this winter, now that he’s about to become a father. He already added a record-breaking eighth world cyclocross title to his list of achievements last winter.
Van der Poel also has no official plans to appear on the gravel scene in the coming weeks.
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Van der Poel finished third at the 2026 World Championships
After winning the rainbow jersey, Pogaçar also bids farewell to "the stars"
Pogaçar would have loved to race these past few weeks, but his season has been over since late August following a crash in the Vuelta a España.
He had already missed out on the World Championships in Montreal, marking the end of his two-season run in the rainbow jersey. Hopes were still pinned on a miraculous recovery so that he could compete a week later at the European Championships in his native Slovenia.
Although there were many rumours circulating, the Slovenian national team coach said on Sunday that Pogaçar ultimately decided on his own not to participate in the European Championships.
Pogaçar unable to defend European title; says he is not in good form
He did attend the event, however, and played a major role in designing the course. He has been seen going for a ride on the Slovenian roads with his fiancée, Urška Žigart, who is also injured after suffering a broken jaw.
"One last spin in the stars" Pogaçar wrote in a reel in which he proudly shows off the European champion's jersey to the world one last time.
He earned that title a year ago in France, but in 2027, Pogacar will start the season without a national or international champion's jersey.
He set the record straight, saying that despite wishing he could race, he was not in the shape to be able to.
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Clarice WebsterEditor
Clarice has been following cycling her whole life, wroting about Thibaut Pinot (among others) for her university magazine while earning her masters in Journalism. She is passionate about furthering equality in sports coverage, and has taken huge inspiration from pillars of women’s cycling like Beryl Burton, Marianne Vos, and Laura Kenny.
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Latest Comments
- - Un poco corto en la parte técnica de la bici de McNulty, no? Colnago nero con detalles arcoíris suena brutal — queremos más fotos, per favore.pedalpowe2902-10-2026
- - Demi finally gets her stripes! Team Oranje tactics on point again — recon, lead-out, and that patient regroup. Textbook. Chapeau.sprocketspiny02-10-2026
- - Wait, does the world champ jersey apply to all disciplines or just road race? Can McNulty wear it in a TT too, or is that only if he won the TT worlds?davidm02-10-2026
- - Brilliant coverage. The early flight back to beat jet lag is elite-level thinking. Those marginal gains matter before a punchy Euros course.samanthak02-10-2026
- - Not sure the “surprised everyone” line about McNulty is fair. He’s been knocking on the door all season in one-day races and TTs. Emilia in rainbows is going to slap.patriciaw02-10-2026
- - Love seeing the rainbow bands back on Slovenian roads. Demi looks sharp in that kit. Hope she gets a full custom bike soon, not just a tiny stripe under the seatpost. Come on, give the champ a proper paint job!cadencekingm02-10-2026
- - Quick one: why can’t McNulty wear the rainbow at Euros? Is it only for world champs from Europe or something about national teams vs trade teams?lindae02-10-2026
- - That Dutch masterclass was something else. Vollering timed that second move perfectly after the first dig didn’t stick. Proper teamwork — Wiebes and the crew deserve as much credit as Demi.julien02-10-2026
- - Boonen’s line about trusting teammates is gold. World’s is chess, not crit. Belgium tried to cover every scenario and covered none. Harsh lesson, but needed before next year.samanthak02-10-2026
- - Great read, but the piece leans a bit too harsh on Wout for me. He wasn’t at leader-level form, true, yet the team didn’t set up a plan B well enough. Segaert the bright spot, agreed.julien02-10-2026
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