Van der Poel takes Philipsen and others on absolute sufferfest in 'MVDP Classic 2026'

Will he, won't he? Ever since the announcement of his schedule, the Cyclo-Cross World Cup in Benidorm has been has been a question mark for Mathieu van der Poel. Even now, there is still no certainty about his participation, but one thing is clear: the Dutchman is already there. And he did not come alone, bringing a sizeable group of training partners along for a now-familiar sufferfest.

Anyone who follows Van der Poel on Instagram knows that for several years he has been organising the so-called ‘MVDP Classic’. It is a long, brutally hard training ride along the Spanish coast, which he first introduced in 2024. Last year, riders such as Freddy Ovett, Jonas Rickaert, Quinten Hermans and Timo Kielich joined him, and once again a strong group answered the call this time around.

Images on Instagram show that seven riders joined Van der Poel for the ride. Clearly identifiable were his Alpecin–Premier Tech teammates Jonas Rickaert, Edward Planckaert and Jasper Philipsen. Also present were Red Bull–BORA–hansgrohe riders Mick and Tim van Dijke, alongside Jordi Meeus. Luke Verburg, another regular training partner of the Dutchman, was there as well.

And the numbers are staggering. This year, the eight-man group covered nearly 230 kilometres, doing so in almost exactly six hours, according to Verburg’s Strava. That resulted in an average speed of 38.2 kilometres per hour - and that in the Spanish hills. Because make no mistake: this was anything but flat. Van der Poel and company had to conquer close to 3,000 metres of elevation gain. A true ordeal.

Physically, Van der Poel therefore seems more than ready. Whether he will actually start in Benidorm remains uncertain, but national coach Gerben de Knegt has included him in the selection for Sunday’s race. Newly crowned Dutch champions Tibor Del Grosso and Ceylin Alvarado are, in any case, confirmed starters in Spain.