For more than a decade, Dutch men’s cyclocross has been defined by Mathieu van der Poel. But if there is one rider beginning to look capable of carrying that dominance into the next generation, it is Tibor Del Grosso.
The 23-year-old enters the 2026–27 season after a major breakthrough winter. He is already a double under-23 world champion, having won the rainbow jersey in 2024 and successfully defended it in Liévin in 2025. In that second title ride, Del Grosso dominated from the opening laps and finished 56 seconds clear of Kay De Bruyckere.
Last winter showed that he had moved well beyond the under-23 level.
Del Grosso retained the Dutch elite cyclocross title in January 2026, overcoming an early crash and mechanical problem before distancing Lars van der Haar and Pim Ronhaar. Remarkably, it was already his second senior Dutch title, despite his age.
His international results were even more significant.
During the 2025–26 World Cup, Del Grosso finished second at Dendermonde, Zonhoven, Maasmechelen and Hoogerheide, third at Gavere and fourth at both Koksijde and Benidorm. Despite beginning his World Cup campaign relatively late, he still finished seventh overall.
He also demonstrated that he can win major elite races outright. In late December he won successive Superprestige rounds at Heusden-Zolder and Diegem, defeating established riders including Thibau Nys and Joran Wyseure.
The strongest evidence of his potential came at the World Championships in Hulst.
Del Grosso stepped into the elite race rather than defending his under-23 title and finished second behind Van der Poel. The eight-time world champion escaped early, but Del Grosso held off Thibau Nys to complete a Dutch one-two. He was also part of the Netherlands squad that won the mixed team relay.
The comparison with Van der Poel is unavoidable, not least because the two are teammates at Alpecin-Premier Tech. Yet Del Grosso is developing along a similar multi-discipline route rather than becoming a cyclocross-only specialist.
His 2026 road season has included victory at the NXT Classic, fifth in the Dutch road championships, 14th at the Amstel Gold Race, ninth at GP Denain and fourth on the final stage of the Deutschland Tour. That road programme should continue to improve the power and endurance he brings back to cyclocross.
There is still one major box to tick: Del Grosso has yet to win an elite UCI World Cup round. Last winter he repeatedly came close, only to find Van der Poel ahead of him.
That matters because genuine dominance is measured in victories, not podiums.
But Del Grosso’s trajectory is unusually convincing. At 23 he is already a double under-23 world champion, twice Dutch elite champion, an elite World Championship silver medallist and a winner in the Superprestige.
Van der Poel will remain the benchmark whenever he races. Beyond him, however, Del Grosso increasingly looks like the Dutch rider best placed to become the next man around whom an entire cyclocross season can revolve.
The 2026–27 winter may tell us whether he is simply the strongest young challenger — or the beginning of the next Dutch era.
Photo ©Graffika Photography
