The record is now his alone. Mathieu Van der Poel, applauded even by King Willem Alexander of the Netherlands, has worn the eighth rainbow jersey. Never in the history of cyclocross had this happened, and that record of 7 World Titles, which he shared with Eric De Vlaeminck last year, no longer exists. Mathieu van der Poel has won 8 World Championships, and everyone hopes this record will continue to rise.

"I said it last week too: when I started pedaling, my dream was to become a professional world champion. The fact that I now have the most titles of all time is simply incredible".

The Dutchman arrived in Hulst as the defending champion and left with a commemorative jersey, on which the number 8 and the titles won in 2015, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026 were written. Mathieu is undoubtedly the perfect champion, who on the Hulst stage received the rainbow jersey from King Willem Alexander and the president of the International Cycling Union David Lappartient.

"It's incredible to receive this jersey, it's really beautiful, but don't ask me now what I'll do, for now I just want to enjoy this moment". The world champion was clear, the decision to continue racing or not in cyclocross will be made later. "I haven't decided anything yet. Winter is always long, but the road season is also a factor. If this ends up lasting longer, then winter will be shorter. One thing is certain: I still love cyclocross and training is really fun. However, the cyclocross season is intense. It's just an idea to take a year off from cross, there are several options on the table. For example, doing fewer races or just competing in the Worlds. Is Ostend (where the World Championships will be held next year, ed.) a nice city? Yes, it's true, and it's always a great cross there! Everyone is trying to convince me, but I still have to decide".

Perhaps for him this was not the easiest victory, because physically Van der Poel was not in his best form, but in any case this didn't prevent him from winning with a good margin. "Do you want to know if today I was at my best? It's always difficult to say. Last weekend I felt a bit better, stronger, but this was a different course. For sure, I prepared well: a mechanical problem would not have ruined the party and everything worked as expected". The world champion also wanted to emphasize that a race, even if well prepared, doesn't always necessarily lead to victory.

"It's always easy to say: he would have won anyway, even if something had gone wrong. I didn't come here with the idea of becoming world champion easily. You can be the best all year, but on that single day something can happen suddenly. The Worlds are a race where sometimes other riders can excel, it's always a unique event because many athletes and different categories compete. The unexpected is just around the corner".

Now there will be a few days of vacation in the mountains and then the road season will begin. "I'll leave tomorrow, then I'll return to Spain to prepare for the road season. Will I participate in Omloop? I'll decide the week before the race. If I feel good enough, I'll definitely do it. Like Le Samyn last year. Otherwise, I'll be at Tirreno again".