Mathieu van der Poel is finally back. The Dutchman will return to cyclocross racing in Namur, Belgium this Sunday. The Alpecin-Deceuninck champion, at 30 years old, will compete in the World Cup event, the first of 12 or 13 races that will lead him to the World Championship on February 1st in Hulst, Netherlands, aiming for his eighth world title. A record unmatched in history, as only he and Belgian Eric De Vlaeminck have seven titles.

Vdp has been training in the warmth of Spain and is now here, almost three months after his last commitment, the Mountain Bike World Championships.

"Yes, it's been a slightly longer break than usual. My season was a bit shorter than in previous years, so I could rest a bit more. After four weeks, I started training in Belgium. Two weeks later, I moved to my permanent base in Spain to continue working and gradually rebuild intensity".

He'll race 12 or 13 cyclocross events, quite an intense series. How did this program come about?

"I considered the travel and chose the races I like. The fact that part of this program is in the greater Antwerp area was a good reason. But it doesn't make sense to say it's a long series. The second half of December is already a period when it's possible to do multiple cross races, and when I'm in Belgium, I prefer competition to training".

Is the Hulst World Championship his main objective?

"Yes, the World Championship is always the goal every year: the record of eight victories is a direct consequence, not the goal in itself".

What is his current condition?

"I really enjoy training, but it's also true that I've missed competition. After the Tour de France, I only raced the Renewi Tour and two mountain bike races, so I can't wait to return a week earlier than last year".

The Citadelcross in Namur is immediately a true classic.

"It's been a long time since I last raced it. It's a beautiful race, and I feel ready".

How many specific cross training sessions has he done so far?

"Two. One on Tuesday and one yesterday, Thursday. It's little, but last year wasn't different and it turned out to be sufficient. Let's hope it's still enough now".

The anticipation for him is extremely high.

"It's a logical consequence of the results achieved in recent years. Expectations can be high, and I raise them too. Personally, I think my condition is lower than last year, but I hope it will be sufficient".

What has he seen in cyclocross over the last two months?

"Mostly I was on the bike, so I didn't follow it too closely. Everything says that Thibau Nys is somewhat the new benchmark. Nieuwenhuis is confirming himself, then there are Vanthourenhout and Aerts. And Mason has taken a step forward".

He will challenge his historic rival, Wout van Aert, five times.

"Let's hope we can offer a great show to the public".