Improving his performance in every lap, Mathieu van der Poel secures a sixth-place finish in the mountain bike comeback of the Les Gets World Cup.
Mathieu van der Poel Makes a Strong Comeback at MTB World Cup
Mathieu van der Poel, the Dutch cycling phenomenon, made a strong comeback to mountain biking after an almost two-year hiatus, finishing sixth at the final round of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup in Les Gets, France.
Van der Poel, who is supported by his professional team Alpecin – Deceuninck during his preparation for the MTB World Championships in Crans-Montana, Switzerland on September 14, started the race from the fifth row. Despite a slow start, he managed to catch up with the lead group on the fifth of eight laps.
The race saw Van der Poel competing against top-tier athletes such as Luca Braidot, Mathias Flückiger, and eventual winner Luca Martin. Van der Poel, in addition to being a multiple world champion in cyclo-cross, holds titles in gravel and road.
However, Van der Poel felt he could have achieved more if he had been more aggressive in the first laps. After catching up with the leading group, he was yo-yoing, indicating he was struggling to maintain his position. He ended the day a minute down on Martin due to a lack of "punch" towards the end of the race.
After the race, Van der Poel spoke to NOS about his performance. He admitted that he needed to do specific training towards the World Championships, as he never felt like he could push himself during the race. Despite this, he remains optimistic about his chances in Crans-Montana, where he aims to complete the set of rainbow jerseys.
This was Van der Poel's first mountain bike race since May, when he crashed twice in the opening laps of the Nove Město, Czechia round of the World Cup. Prior to that, he had won national and European cross-country mountain bike titles but hadn't yet taken a world title. His best result to date is bronze at the 2018 MTB Worlds.
The race in Les Gets marks the start of a shift in focus as he prepares for the MTB World Championships in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, on September 14. Van der Poel took a break from mountain biking after winning the cyclo-cross world title in 2020, and this comeback race is a significant step towards his goal of completing the set of rainbow jerseys.
