This page covers Mathieu Van Der Poel's 2026 season race-by-race, including results, roles, key moments, and incidents for each race. Each entry is a spoiler for the corresponding race. Read no further if you intend to watch any of them unspoiled.
Mathieu van der Poel's 2026 began with a record-extending eighth cyclocross world title on home Dutch sand in Hulst. The road spring that followed broke the pattern of his career in one direction and confirmed it in another. He won E3 Saxo Classic solo from a late attack — a Flanders dress rehearsal that didn't survive the actual Flanders. He bridged on the final Kemmelberg at Gent-Wevelgem; the catch arrived 500 m from the line and Philipsen finished the bunch sprint behind him. He won Tirreno-Adriatico Stage 2 on wet gravel and Stage 4 on Apennine climbing, the form line confirming what he'd take to Strade Bianche.
Then Milano-Sanremo turned. He made the Cipressa selection with Pogačar and Pidcock — the right move, the right reading — and was the first of the three to crack on the Poggio. Then Roubaix, the race he'd won three consecutive times entering 2026: two punctures inside the Trouée d'Arenberg, a brief attempt to ride Philipsen's bike (too small), a roadside wheel change with an Allen key, a third puncture before the sector ended. He left the forest two minutes off the front. Fourth in salvage. The Ronde van Vlaanderen four days later went to Pogačar's Oude Kwaremont attack he could not follow; second at +34 was the consolation.
The spring's most remarkable spread: the cyclocross world title, two cobbled Classics seconds, the Roubaix-defending position lost to Arenberg mechanicals. Skipped the Ardennes. Will rest before the Tour, where Alpecin's GC/sprint cards will be tested again.
Van der Poel sets an interim best of 22'26'' for Alpecin-Premier Tech before the GC teams arrive, placing 11th individually. His Tour focus will be on stage wins in sprint and classics-style finishes rather than GC.
Van der Poel anchors Alpecin-Premier Tech's TTT and sets an interim best of 22'26'' that stands for several teams before the GC squads arrive. He finishes 11th on the opening GC and will focus on stage wins rather than overall classification in the weeks ahead.
The four-peat bid was over in 2,400 metres of forest. Two punctures inside Arenberg, a brief and abandoned attempt to ride Philipsen's bike, a roadside wheel change from Del Grosso, then a third flat before the sector ended. Exited Arenberg nearly two minutes off the front in a race where you cannot afford fifteen seconds. The fourth place — a furious ride across the chase group after the duo had already gone — is consolation. To Dutch press: 'It's hard to accept losing a race like that. My legs were good, my position was perfect, and you end up changing bikes twice just as the fight opens.'
The four-time Ronde winner could not follow Pogačar on the Kwaremont — the climb where he has historically been the man doing the dropping. Did what he could to limit the damage from there. Said post-race: 'I did what I could. Tadej was simply better in the finale.'
Joined the late three-up move with Van Aert and Segaert on the final Kemmelberg. Caught at 500 m; gave Philipsen the bunch sprint scenario that wins more often than not.
Solo win in the unofficial Flanders rehearsal. The attack went on the late climbing sequence — same template he'd take to the Ronde. Worked here; didn't work there.
Made the Cipressa selection, then cracked on the Poggio — the climb where his entire career says he wins. Pogačar's repeated accelerations finally found a limit Van der Poel couldn't match. Dropped back to the first chase, finished in the Van Aert bunch but outside the placings.
Second stage win, second reduced-group sprint after a climbing-and-positioning selection.
Won the reduced-bunch sprint after the wet-gravel selection. Set the form line for Strade Bianche, where he'd finish behind Pogačar and Seixas.
Won Stage 2 on wet gravel — a Strade Bianche dress rehearsal six days before the actual race. The stage win answered the question 'is Van der Poel ready for Strade?' before Strade asked it.
Eighth elite men's cyclocross world title — a record. On home Dutch sand in Hulst. The cyclocross Worlds, on Van der Poel's preferred terrain, in the rainbow jersey he had also won road-race-style at Worlds the previous autumn. There is no rider in the discipline at his level and there hasn't been for several years.
A textbook home-soil World Cup performance. Van der Poel forced the selection on the opening lap, attacked mid-race, and built a ~30-second gap that turned the finale into a solo time trial. He had enough margin to watch the chase sprint for second behind him. The win, on the GP Adrie van der Poel circuit named for his father, closed out the World Cup season and set up his run at Worlds the following week — where he would go on to take a record eighth elite title.
Won Maasmechelen for his 50th career World Cup victory, and did it the hard way — two punctures during the race each cost him the lead and forced a chase back to the front, yet he still rode away in the closing laps to win by three seconds. The result, part of an Alpecin-Premier Tech podium sweep, extended his overall World Cup lead over Thibau Nys to 38 points before the final round. By 2026 Van der Poel is essentially uncontested in cyclocross when he chooses to start.
A signature Van der Poel cyclocross win on terrain — fast, dry, power-based — that suited him perfectly. He used the lap-one hurdles crash to open a gap and simply rode away, soloing from the end of the first lap to the line for his sixth World Cup round win of the season and remaining unbeaten in every round he started. The victory clinched his second career overall UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup title and carried him into the road season in dominant form.
A flawless ride on the kind of frozen, technical sand course where the smallest error is punished. Van der Poel led the field into the circuit, identified the icy De Kuil sand pit as the day's hardest test and rode it perfectly, extending his lead at the start of the third lap and never being threatened. The win — in 59:36 — was his ninth in a row this season and continued an unbeaten winter that would carry him to the overall World Cup title.