Taxi De Knegt already knew upon arrival at airport that Van der Poel was aware of situation: "Mathieu knows the numbers"

On Thursday evening, De Knegt was acting as the cab service for the Dutch team, picking up Van der Poel and a few more cyclocross riders from the airport in Prague. "Then Erik De Vlaeminck's record came up pretty quickly, so Mathieu knows the numbers, so to speak," he said, referring to MVDP's six titles, including Tábor 2024, compared to De Vlaeminck's seven.

Remarkably, the relief was evident with the person in charge of the Dutch cyclocross team, but it all remained somewhat subdued. It might still turn into a big party in the evening, but why the reserved atmosphere? "I also miss the World Cup feeling a bit," De Knegt admitted honestly. "Maybe it's because Van Aert isn't there, I don't know. But the best thing is when everyone is present at a World Championship. However, I understand the choices of these riders, as they are also performing exceptionally well on the road and have ambitions there. I heard Thijs Zonneveld say the other day: the best hour of the winter is no longer with Van Aert vs. Van der Poel, and I can somewhat relate to that."

"But, Gerben, for you, it's still been the best hour of the winter this way, right?" "That is. The performance of Joris Nieuwenhuis and the others should not be underestimated; that is also top-level. With Van der Poel, Van Aert, and Pidcock, it gives just a little extra cachet; that's a fact. And I also look back on a very nice World Championship, but I really have to put a lot of energy into that as well," stated the selection host.

"There's all sorts of hassle involved: from parking tickets to hotel reservations, flights, and the shuttle schedule, I'm a jack-of-all-trades," he explains. "In the end, I have to think of 1001 things, and that's not a bad thing, but in the weeks after a World Cup like this, I'm sometimes awake at five o'clock, and it starts to grind. It's also work, and you won't hear me complain. I have an assistant now, and that is very nice, but there is a lot behind it."

It is De Knegt himself who mentions that he understands that it also requires a lot from Van der Poel. It is a fact that a winter of ten, eleven, or twelve races costs him a lot of energy and is challenging to combine with his ambitions on the road. I understand his statement that he would like to rest for the winter. I can go along with that. It would be unfortunate for cyclo-cross, but that is his decision.

"I'm not worried about the future because behind Mathieu, there will also be a very good core of riders. We have seen that here," he states. "I have also already said to Mathieu: you can just do three races and the World Cup. Time will tell, and I really can't say. But I would understand if he wants to keep a low profile for a winter," the national coach said.

In any case, De Knegt believes that Van der Poel's doubts are genuine. "I think there is a grain of truth in it, and I have also talked to him about it on occasion. It is also in the training because if you want a good road preparation, it is also nice to cycle in the sun for two months. And, mind you, you're not just talking about those races; you also have to go there for scouting, autographs, pictures, and all that. Everyone says it's part of it, of course, it is, but I can also imagine that he has had enough of it one day," concludes the former cyclo-cross racer. Anyway, as Gerben says: time will tell.