‘I’m certainly not at my best yet’ – Mathieu van der Poel heads to Spain after going nine from nine in cyclo-cross, but the big goals are still to come

With the bulk of his cyclo-cross season completed and successfully dominated, Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Premier Tech) will now head to Spain to both prepare for the ‘cross World Championships in Hulst on February 1 and the road Spring Classics.

After his thrilling return in Namur on December 14, Van der Poel put on exhibition after exhibition throughout the Kerstperiode, winning nine races in a row and proving that he remains the top favourite to win a record-breaking eighth world title in the discipline come February.