Mathieu van der Poel has brought his 2026 road season to a close — but his latest update has left cycling fans wondering what the next chapter of his career will look like.
The Dutch superstar finished third at the 2026 UCI Road World Championships in Montréal, taking bronze behind Brandon McNulty and Michael Matthews after another aggressive performance in a brutally demanding race.
For Van der Poel, the result capped a remarkable road season that had already included victories at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, the E3 Saxo Classic and a Tour de France stage. He also produced a spectacular solo victory at the Tour de Luxembourg just days before the World Championships.
But now comes the question that has fans talking:
What happens next?
THE ROAD SEASON IS OVER
Van der Poel has confirmed that the Montréal World Championships were his final road race of 2026.
That means fans will not see him return for the remaining road races this year. Instead, the eight-time cyclocross world champion is preparing to take a break before deciding what comes next.
And that is where the uncertainty begins.
Normally, the end of the road season would mean one thing for Van der Poel: preparation for another cyclocross campaign.
But this time, there is a major reason why his usual winter plans could look very different.
FATHERHOOD COULD CHANGE EVERYTHING
Van der Poel and his partner, Roxanne Bertels, are expecting their first child in January 2027.
The timing is significant because January is also when the cyclocross season reaches some of its biggest moments, including the World Championships.
Van der Poel has therefore not committed to competing in the upcoming cyclocross season.
For a rider who has dominated cyclocross for years, the possibility of missing an entire winter is a major storyline.
It could mean stepping away from the discipline in which he has already established an extraordinary legacy — at least temporarily.
IS THIS REALLY THE END?
That is the question fans cannot stop asking.
There is currently no confirmation that Van der Poel is retiring from cyclocross, and it would be wrong to suggest that his career is coming to an end.
Instead, the uncertainty is about how much racing he wants to do during a period when his personal life is about to change dramatically.
Van der Poel has previously considered the possibility of skipping a winter, particularly as he balances cyclocross with his ambitions on the road.
Now, with fatherhood approaching, that decision has become even more significant.
A SEASON FULL OF BIG MOMENTS
Whatever happens during the winter, Van der Poel can look back on another remarkable road campaign.
He won on the biggest stages, returned to the Tour de France spotlight and finished the year with a World Championship bronze medal.
His Montréal performance was especially notable because he attacked aggressively despite previously admitting that the demanding course might not suit him perfectly. He spent much of the race forcing the action before ultimately securing a place on the podium.
And even though the rainbow jersey escaped him, the bronze medal provided another major result in an already decorated career.
THE NEXT CHAPTER
Now the cycling world waits.
Will Van der Poel return to cyclocross?
Will he choose to skip the winter and concentrate on preparing for the 2027 road season?
Could becoming a father change the way he approaches his famously demanding multi-discipline career?
For now, none of those questions has a definitive answer.
What is confirmed is that his 2026 road campaign is over, and the next stage of his career will be shaped by both sporting ambitions and a major change in his personal life.
The fans have seen Van der Poel win Classics, stages, championships and cyclocross titles.
Now they are waiting to discover something completely different:
