Mathieu van der Poel extends with Alpecin-Deceuninck until the end of 2028
Dutchman inks new five-year deal after team's second triumph at Milan-San Remo last weekend with Jasper Philipsen
Mathieu van der Poel, the current men’s road world champion, has signed a new five-year contract with Alpecin-Deceuninck, which will keep him riding for the Belgian team until the end of the 2028 season.
The Dutchman signed the new deal after he was instrumental in the team’s second successive Milan-San Remo victory last weekend. Van der Poel gave a sterling lead-out for Jasper Philipsen to triumph on the Via Roma, outsprinting both Michael Matthews and Tadej Pogačar for the win.
As well as his new contract with the team run by brothers Philip and Christoph Roodhooft, Van der Poel also signed a new ten-year contract as an ambassador for Canyon bikes, who are also Alpecin’s long-term bike partner.
Van der Poel's new deal is the latest in a recent series of long-term contracts in cycling. His previous contract with his team was set to expire at the end of the 2025 season.
"This extension is a logical choice for me," Van der Poel said. "I have felt particularly comfortable in the structures of Philip and Christoph Roodhooft from the beginning. I have grown together with the team and I still feel that we are making progress. And although we have already achieved many successes together, I am still hungry for more.
"Not unimportant in the fact is that Alpecin-Deceuninck is also multi-disciplinary. This is the perfect team to continue to combine road, mountain bike and cyclocross."
Van der Poel made his first steps in cycling in the colours of the Roodhooft brothers' team. According to a press release from Alpecin-Deceuninck, the new agreement means that Van der Poel will have ridden under their stewardship for “no less than 18 years”.
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
The release also states that, at the end of the 2028 season, Van der Poel will decide on a year by year basis whether to continue professionally riding on the road at that point.
"There is no doubt that we are delighted with Mathieu van der Poel's extended agreement," the Roodhoofts said. "We had a long-term plan with him from the beginning. The multidisciplinary vision was an important aspect of this. We quickly found each other in that as well.
"Over the years we have proven that our structure and vision works. It feels particularly good that we can also continue in the coming years. Just like Mathieu, we as a team are still hungry for more successes, and the world champion plays an important role in that, along with a number of other talents we have on board, both in the men's and women's teams."
Van der Poel made his 2024 road season debut at Milan-San Remo. The world champion chased down a series of late attacks from Pogačar, Matej Mohorič and Tom Pidcock in order to tee up Philipsen for the win.
The Dutchman is expected to target the Tour of Flanders once more in the weeks ahead and will also look to defend the Paris-Roubaix title that he won last year.
Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Tom joined Cycling Weekly in early 2022 and his news stories, rider interviews and features appear both online and in the magazine.
He has reported from some of professional cycling's biggest races and events including the Tour de France and the recent Glasgow World Championships. He has also covered races elsewhere across the world and interviewed some of the sport's top riders.
When not writing news scoops from the WorldTour, or covering stories from elsewhere in the domestic professional scene, he reports on goings on at bike shops up and down the UK, where he is based when not out on the road at races. He has also appeared on the Radio Cycling podcast.
-
Trek USCX will host 4 consecutive UCI cyclocross race weekends on US soil
Trek becomes American UCI Cyclocross series title sponsor, adding a fourth race to the series in October at its headquarters in Waterloo, Wisconsin.
By Kristin Jenny Published
-
Lip service isn't good enough: here's what needs to change for cycling events to actually be inclusive
These are the key actions that make an event actually inclusive and do more than just lip service.
By Marley Blonsky Published
-
Opinion: Mathieu van der Poel firmly grasps legend status with second Paris-Roubaix victory
Reigning world champion deserves his place alongside Roger de Vlaeminck and Eddy Merckx as one of cycling’s greatest-ever one-day racers
By Tom Thewlis Last updated
-
Van der Poel ‘in a different league’ at Paris-Roubaix, says Mads Pedersen
Former world champion forced to settle for third on the podium behind Van der Poel and Jasper Philipsen
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
'I just wanted to make it a hard final' - Mathieu van der Poel on 'unplanned' Paris-Roubaix winning attack
The world champion launched his race winning move on the Orchie cobbled sector, almost 60 kilometres from the Roubaix velodrome
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
'I’m just here to enjoy it': Tom Pidcock on his surprise Paris-Roubaix appearance
British rider was a late addition to the Ineos Grenadiers team for the race across the pavé
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Mads Pedersen: Paris-Roubaix suits me better than the Tour of Flanders
'The dream scenario will be to finish alone with two minutes... but it's not going to happen,' says the former world champion
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
'It's one of the hardest races I've ever done' - Mathieu van der Poel on his historic Tour of Flanders victory
World champion becomes seventh man in history to win the race three times
By Tom Davidson Published
-
Mathieu van der Poel wins record-equalling third Tour of Flanders with 45km attack
Dutchman pulls off audacious long-range coup to claim Monument victory
By Tom Davidson Published
-
Wout van Aert 'in a good place' ahead of Tour of Flanders despite Visma-Lease a Bike illness and injury crisis
Loss of Christophe Laporte and Dylan van Baarle 'a big blow' says DS Grischa Niermann as team builds for Monument double header
By Tom Thewlis Published