Cyclocross world champion Mathieu van der Poel took all the attention over the weekend, scoring back-to-back triumphs at the UCI World Cup rounds in Antwerp and Koksijde. Away from the mud, he also made headlines after hinting at a possible retirement from the sport.
Van der Poel is racing a limited calendar of 13 events this winter, including a bid to win a record-breaking eighth world title, but could this campaign be his last on the 'cross bike?
After soloing to glory in Antwerp on Saturday, he told Algemeen Dagblad that retirement may even come at the end of this season.
"I'm not going to keep racing cyclocross forever. There has to be an end someday," the 30-year-old said.
"I've always said I want to finish on a high. Both on the road and in cyclocross. Will the World Championships in Hulst be the ultimate farewell ceremony? Who knows?"
The Worlds on home ground on February 1 would provide Van der Poel the opportunity to extend his winning run to four in a row and, crucially, move onto eight total rainbow jerseys, one clear of Erik De Vlaeminck, with whom he currently shares the record.
He admitted on Sunday that, should he manage to achieve that, there wouldn't be much reason to keep on competing next year and beyond, results-wise.
"My words weren't taken out of context. I've always said it would be fantastic to break the record with a World Championship in my home country. Then there's not much left for me to achieve in cyclocross," Van der Poel told Het Nieuwsblad.
"Of course, there's also the 2028 World Championships in Hoogerheide. But I want to retire on a high, and if I were to finish fifth in Hoogerheide, for example, that leaves a sour taste in your mouth. However, if I were to become world champion in Hulst, I have the choice to retire on a high."
Van der Poel, who has now won 15 races in a row in the sport dating back to January 2024, said that 'cross is still his favourite form of racing, but acknowledged that skipping the winter season could help his preparation for the road season, especially as he ages.
"Cycloross is still my favourite thing to do. It's always fun with the crowd, too. I grew up on 'cross. But there's a lot involved, and it demands more and more energy. Maybe without cross in the winter, I could prepare better for the road season," he said.
"Just because the combination of cyclocross in the winter and classics in the spring seemed like a golden combination for me doesn't mean it can't be better without a cyclocross winter. People always look at Wout van Aert and me, who combine cyclocross and road, but Tadej Pogačar doesn't do it, and he's even better."
A winter without cyclocross may or may not help Van der Poel for future Pogačar duels in the spring, but he admitted that he'd like to "spend a full winter in Spain someday."
The prospect has been discussed with his Alpecin-Deceuninck team, he added, though he did say that he'd continue racing to try for that record-breaking eighth world title if he doesn't get it this season.
"I'm not just assuming I'll become world champion in Hulst. Even if I don't win the World Championships in Hulst, I'll definitely keep racing just to become the record holder."
