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Within the wake of Mathieu van der Poel‘s sixth Cyclocross World Championships victory and his admission that he might look to skip winter ‘cross campaigns in future, his Alpecin-Deceuninck workforce boss Christoph Roodhooft has mentioned he “would not see it occurring immediately.”
The Dutchman, who received the world title for the sixth time with a dominant experience in Tabor on Sunday, said after his victory, “If it seems that I can carry out even higher on the highway by skipping cyclo-cross, then I’ll try this.”
Nonetheless, nothing has but been determined, with Roodhooft telling WielerFlits that the problem hasn’t but been mentioned.
“So far as I do know that has by no means been mentioned. By no means say by no means, in fact, however I do not see it occurring immediately,” he mentioned in an interview after the race.
For his half, Van der Poel mentioned he’d discuss it along with his Alpecin-Deceuninck workforce, including that his 2024 highway programme can be determined quickly.
“It is a determination that I clearly can not make alone,” he mentioned after capturing the rainbow jersey. “However we’ll focus on it throughout the workforce. We’ll know extra about my highway programme in two weeks, however not but about subsequent winter.”
Roodhooft mentioned that he was at all times sure that his rider would race to the win on Sunday, taking the title by 37 seconds from one other Dutchman, Joris Nieuwenhuis.
“By no means had any [doubts],” mentioned Roodhooft. “I used to be a bit extra tense than regular anyway. However I feel pressure is acceptable on a day like at the moment.
“An occasion just like the World Championships deserves that. You do not win a race like this identical to that.”
For Van der Poel, the win was his thirteenth in 14 races throughout the 2023-24 cyclocross season. His solely miss got here on the UCI World Cup in Benidorm final month, when he took a chicane too rapidly late within the race, hitting a padded metal pole within the course of and later settling for fifth place.
Regardless of the lengthy listing of wins – he now has 161 in whole at elite stage – his focus this season was totally on the World Championships. Racking up extra victories within the X20 Trofee, World Cup, and Superprestige does little for his packed palmarès in comparison with one other rainbow jersey.
“I truly perceive that assertion,” Roodhooft mentioned about Van der Poel’s declaration that his season would solely be successful if he received the Worlds. “For different riders, it is likely to be good to win 10 or 12 occasions, however with him, it is solely concerning the World Championships.
“We’ll positively have a good time this, nevertheless it’s additionally completely different as a result of we’re so removed from house. You like to have a good time these massive wins with the entourage there and that is a bit tougher now.”
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