The 2024-25 Cyclocross season is in full swing, with top series such as Superprelige, X2O Trofee and Exact Cross starting last month.

Star riders such as Eli Iserbyt, Fem van Empel, Thibau Nys and Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado have resumed racing and winning in recent weeks, but "cross-world" superstars Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert have not yet returned to activity.

After the 2024 road season, both men have recently been training in Spain. Van der Poel won bronze in the Road World and bronze in the Rainbow Jersey at the Gravel World Championship. Meanwhile, Van Aalto has not raced since crashing out of the Vuelta a España on May 9.

The pair are based in a popular off-season training location in Alicante in southeastern Spain. Van der Poel is training with Spanish gravel racer Freddie Bett, but on Tuesday Van Aalto recorded an elevation of 2,000 metres while riding 127km in the hills north of Benidorm.

They were once fixtures for the Cyclocross season from 9 or 10 to 2, but in recent seasons they have launched campaigns in late 11 or early 12 months, prioritizing the road campaign.

Van Aalto is not expected to return to action by the end of the month after Visma・Lease the bike training camp, which ends on 12/19, which ends on 12 May. Therefore, he is likely to make his season debut in the World Cup round, held in Hulst or Sonnhofen on 12/21 or 22. 

Van der Poel's plan is not very clear. "We still have to decide whether or not to race the cyclocross this winter," said the Dutchman in early May 10.

Last week, Dutch national team cyclocross coach Gerben De Knegt said, "He has a cyclocross plan, but the question is whether it fits the plans for the 2025 road season."

As the pair's future plans are still unclear, several former pros gave their opinions to WielerFlits. Mario De Clercq, the world champion of the 3rd degree, predicted that they would return to action before the new year.

"I think they'll both be back in the race at the end of the 12th month," he said. "They can't do anything during the winter, they don't think it will happen, and they'll never want it.""

In Bert Wellens, his own double world champion and DS Intermarchevanti, van der Poel and Van Aalto are likely not to participate in many races and will not take much time between the Cyclocross world, which will be held in Lievan from the end of the 12th month to 2/2. It was a great experience for me.

"They won't be able to race a lot. If they start on the weekend in Hulst, they will reach the world soon – especially knowing that most teams will have an additional training camp on May 1," he said. "I think it's a bit disappointing, but they have always been welcome in our sport and to some extent they also need it.

"By the way, if you're going to do such a small cyclocross, you're treating UCI badly. They made the World Cup [this season will run rounds between 12/24 and 1/26 –Ed.Compact.Especially for these two. If someone like van der Poel ignores most of these races, that's a big middle finger for the UCI.

"If they say 'we're not coming', you have to rely on new top riders like Nys, who have been at a disadvantage in the new calendar. They will be tired of the beginning of a world where it will be hard to beat Van der Poel or Van Aert, even if they are fresh.

Another double world champion, Niels Albert, said the pair "bring a certain atmosphere" to the cyclocross when they compete. He added that they want to return to the sport where they have built their reputation.

"They both"come from the cross, that is their past and the foundation of their careers," he said. "Cyclocross is also a good family sport to compete in. In that regard, I think they still like it and they still want to get that feeling every winter."