Mathieu van der Poel Discovers New Key to Success in Mountain Biking
Youri IJnsen
The instruction was to stay on the bike, and a sixth place was much better than expected. That is the main takeaway from last weekend for Mathieu van der Poel, who left the World Cup in Les Gets with a very good feeling during his final tune-up ahead of the MTB World Championships. That will rightly strengthen him in his hunt for a world title in a fourth discipline,, in two weeks’ time in Crans-Montana. WielerFlits outlines why.
Great talent may have been his Achilles’ heel in MTB over the past few years
Wherever he races and on whatever bike it may be, MVDP always goes all out. He used to do the same on the mountain bike, In the past, the 30-year-old Dutchman has repeatedly stated that switching from road or cyclocross bikes to mountain biking is the most challenging. Over the last four years, he competed in very few MTB races. Moreover, Van der Poel did not finish the Olympic Games in Tokyo (2021), the World Championships in Glasgow (2023), and the World Cup in Nové Město (May). Crashes were always the cause; in the Czech Republic, even two.
In his eagerness, he missed the footing in Tokyo and went off the course both in Glasgow and Nové Město. While racing instinctively is Van der Poel’s trademark and greatest strength, perhaps in recent years that has been his Achilles’ heel in mountain biking. Van der Poel’s eyes sparkle when he sits on the mountain bike again—the passion he has for this discipline shines through. But perhaps his nature has played tricks on him in recent years. This weekend likely opened his mountain bike eyes.
Mental victory over himself
Regarding the above, MVDP also achieved a mental victory over himself. Since finishing at Les Gets was the priority, Van der Poel had to race strategically. This approach was clearly visible: give everything uphill, then take no risks in the long and technical descents. For someone who may be the most technically gifted rider in the world, this meant overriding his instincts and racing with his head. On the road, after the 2022 Worlds, he already shed his playboy image and earned his biggest wins. Now it becomes clear for the first time that this also works in his beloved mountain bike discipline.
Starting row at the Worlds not a problem
There were some questions beforehand about the starting position in Les Gets too. He started in the same position in Nové Město and that immediately cost him when he collided with David Valero. In the French Alps, it was a different course, somewhat similar to the Worlds route in Crans-Montana in two weeks. The starting position turned out not to be an issue in France—despite the challenges on the descents. At one point, Van der Poel managed to bridge to the front of the race in the penultimate lap. With a bit more luck, a placing higher than sixth would have been possible, he said. If MVDP gets faster to the front at the Worlds (given the long uphill at the start, which promotes overtaking) and shows better descending skills, much is possible for him.
Competition does not make a crushing impression
The biggest contender on the Crans-Montana course would have been Tom Pidcock. But the multiple world champion is currently (strongly) involved in the Vuelta a España and will not participate in the Worlds. Behind him, there is a big gap. World Cup leader Chris Blevins never featured in Les Gets; Charlie Aldridge crashed hard; and UCI ranking number one Victor Koretzky did not compete. Luca Martin impressed, though, especially with his very strong descents. The French champion was also second behind Pidcock on the Andorra climbing course last month. But the rest of the usual suspects have not convinced all year.
Confidence boost: stronger uphill than ever?
The courses mountain bikers face can roughly be divided into two types: climbing courses and interval courses. Van der Poel used to excel mainly on the latter, such as at Nové Město. On climbing courses, as a powerhouse, he often struggled against the lighter riders—the same as on the road, where MVDP is not part of the world elite during longer climbs. The only exception used to be the now-discontinued World Cup in Albstadt, where he stood on the podium from 2017 through 2019.
How different it was this time. Until a lap and a half before the end,, Van der Poel was one of the strongest on the two long climbs. If he can ride as strategically in Crans-Montana as he did in Les Gets and has a bit more luck, he has a serious chance of a world title on a course that should suit him technically better than last weekend. “I still missed the punch you need on the MTB, I realize I still need the specific work,” he said about it. That’s why he is traveling early to Switzerland. If he doesn’t have to laugh at ‘everything that could go wrong in the first lap, went wrong’ there himself, he can be confident with his rediscovered self.
