Uncertain Van der Poel confesses that he might someday quit cyclo-cross: "That does haunt my mind"

Van der Poel, the reigning world champion in cyclo-cross, has his focus set on the rainbow jersey this coming winter, this time in Tábor, Czech Republic. However, whether he will continue the discipline for many more years is uncertain. In fact, the possibility of eventually stopping has already been the topic of serious discussions. "Yes, that does haunt my mind. We have also talked about it within the team. I don't know how long I will continue to do cyclo-cross. Occasionally having a winter without cyclo-cross would also be nice."

The now 28-year-old Van der Poel has two main reasons for this. The first is the sporting aspect in cyclo-cross. "I actually do cyclo-cross purely for my pleasure. And of course, the world title is still an important goal. I see the rest of the season more as an activity to keep me going through the winter. From a sports perspective, there is not much more for me to achieve there."

The physical aspect also plays a role, particularly his back, which Van der Poel has struggled with in recent years. "My back will always remain a point of attention. On the road, I have this injury under control pretty well. Actually, I have hardly had any more problems there and had my best road season ever last year. Now that I am again focusing on cyclo-cross during the winter months, it remains to be seen how my back will hold up. That uncertainty will always remain."