The wait is almost over. On May 25, Mathieu van der Poel returns to the mountain bike circuit with a start at the World Cup in Nove Mesto, Czech Republic. And he’s doing it with one major goal in mind: the World Championships in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, where the all-rounder hopes to claim his tenth world title later this year. But what’s his story on the mountain bike so far? IDLProCycling.com takes you through Van der Poel’s journey off-road.
In 2018, with several road and cyclocross victories already under his belt, Van der Poel showed the Netherlands he could handle a mountain bike just as well. He claimed the national title in cross-country, and despite his already packed schedule across other disciplines, it was a personal confirmation that he might be able to go far off-road too.
And go far he did. In 2019, Van der Poel made his international breakthrough. He captured the European title in cross-country in Brno, Czech Republic. But that was just the beginning. That same year, he also won World Cup races in Nove Mesto, Val di Sole and Lenzerheide. In short track as well, Van der Poel was unstoppable with multiple victories. The road to a world title seemed wide open.
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From career highs to heartbreak in Tokyo
But not every career is filled with highlights. After his string of mountain bike successes, Van der Poel had one clear goal in mind: Olympic gold in Tokyo. That dream, however, shattered almost instantly. In the opening lap, the Dutchman crashed hard after misjudging a drop he believed still had a wooden ramp, as it had during the recon. That mistake abruptly ended his Olympic campaign.
Still, giving up is not in the vocabulary of the Alpecin Deceuninck rider, who has already been crowned world champion in cyclocross, gravel and road racing. Not long after Tokyo, he bounced back with a World Cup win in Albstadt, proving he still belonged among the mountain bike elite. But in the years that followed, his focus gradually shifted to other discipline
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Van der Poel on the mountain bike
From Switzerland to the USA?
And that shift paid off. Van der Poel won multiple Monuments, wore the leader’s jersey in both the Giro d’Italia and the Tour de France, and dominated the winter with a streak of rainbow jerseys in cyclocross. But that one dream never left his mind. When he saw the road race course for the upcoming World Championships was too mountainous, he knew what he had to do.
On September 14, the mountain bike World Championships in Switzerland offer a course tailor-made for Van der Poel. Not too technical, but fast and explosive, exactly his style. His first test toward that goal comes on May 25, and what happens after that remains to be seen.
Still, it would not surprise anyone if the Dutchman continues to chase mountain bike success. Back in January, IDLProCycling.com reported that Van der Poel is aiming to go for Olympic gold on the mountain bike once again at the 2028 Games. That could very well be his final Olympics. It would be the perfect ending to a remarkable career, with that crash in Tokyo just one chapter in the story and not the final word.
AloJapan.com