‘Every now and then, you have to consider other options’ – Mathieu van der Poel non-commital on potential cyclo-cross retirement ahead of bid for record-breaking eighth world title

Mathieu van der Poel heads to the Cyclo-cross World Championships on Sunday for his 11th appearance at the sport’s headline event, the Dutchman seeking a record-breaking eighth world title that would take him clear of Erik De Vlaeminck.

Even if the man himself doesn’t think so, Van der Poel’s march to glory in Hulst is widely accepted as something of a foregone conclusion. He is unbeaten so far this winter, recording 12 wins from 12 races, after all.