Mathieu van der Poel has just returned from an "active holiday" in America but does not seem ready to get back on the bike immediately to prepare for his cyclocross campaign. The Dutchman feels his body still needs more time to fully recover.
Van der Poel decided to end his season immediately after the Mountain Bike World Championships (September 14). His motivation to train had already diminished leading up to the title battle, as revealed in an Instagram post. He said he was dealing with ‘Septemberitus’, a form of mental and physical fatigue that riders experience at the end of the season. This makes it difficult for them to recharge for the final races.
In an extensive interview with Het Laatste Nieuws, Van der Poel—who has now returned from a holiday in the United States—explains this in more detail. "The pneumonia that forced me to abandon the Tour de France was worse than initially thought. I struggled with it for a long time after, also because, as a top athlete, you want to get back on the bike as soon as possible instead of resting more."
"That had an extra impact. I know my body pretty well by now and could feel it wasn’t as resilient as it should be. I tried to make the best of it afterwards, hoping it would turn out okay, but that wasn’t the case. Mentally and physically, I needed rest."
"Normally, I always train a bit more than necessary; now it was the opposite."
Van der Poel says he was definitely affected by Septemberitus. "One hundred percent. There were also few races for me in August and September, so I added the Renewi Tour to my schedule, but otherwise, I struggled a lot to motivate myself."
"Normally, I always train a little more than required; this time, it was the opposite. I missed more training sessions than I completed, and that’s never a good sign for me… It’s happened before, but this time it was also close to the end of the season, and that makes the feeling even more extreme. I was craving rest."
photo: Fotopersburo Cor Vos
During his American trip, Van der Poel had the chance to clear his head and recharge his batteries, but he still doesn’t feel fully rested. "I rode the bike once in America for a social event, which was a big disappointment. I also did a ride yesterday (Monday, ed.), but there’s a good chance the bike will stay in the shed for a while longer. I feel like I need a bit more rest."
First rest, then a busy period
"I don’t really have the hunger for the bike yet, but that might also have something to do with the gloomy weather in Belgium. One more week of rest won’t hurt because once my cyclocross season starts, it will be a rapid succession of cyclocross races and classics again. It will all come quickly. In terms of number, planning, and structure, it will be somewhat comparable to last year, but first a solid training block in Spain."
Mathieu van der Poel
