Whether they will also dare to take on the combination is still in question, but after the announcement of the Olympic road program for the 2028 Los Angeles Games, it is clear that Mathieu van der Poel and Puck Pieterse can combine the mountain bike race and the road race. That is the conclusion of technical director Wilbert Broekhuizen of the KNWU in conversation with the NOS.
We now know that the Olympic Games in 2028 will be held in Los Angeles (July 14-30). But for those who want to mark their calendars already: the exact dates for the road races, track events, mountain bike races, and BMX competitions are now also known.
The time trials (elite women’s and men’s) will take place on Wednesday, July 19, 2028, while the road races for women and men follow on the weekend of July 22 (Saturday) and July 23 (Sunday). For the mountain bikers, it’s important to circle Monday 17 and Tuesday 18 July in red, because that is when the rainbow jerseys will be awarded in the cross-country races.
"There are five days between the mountain biking and the road races," Broekhuizen observes. "So a combination is possible for Puck and Mathieu, that’s how we see it. And for Lorena, a combination of the road race and the track is possible."
Already preparing
There are still three years to wait for the next Summer Olympics, but the KNWU is already working on the preparation for the global event. "We want to be the best-prepared country in the world," says Broekhuizen. "The trip takes eleven hours and there is a nine-hour time difference. That’s quite significant. As an athlete, you want to arrive on site in time."
The delegation already has a base in mind where the Dutch athletes can acclimate once they arrive in Los Angeles. "We have found a place about an hour and a half's drive south of Los Angeles. Usually, you can only enter the Olympic Village five days before your event, so that place gives us more possibilities to prepare athletes earlier and better."
These are the days the cyclists will be in action
Road cycling: Wednesday 19 July (time trials), Saturday 22 July (women’s road race) and Sunday 23 July (men’s road race)
Mountain biking: Monday 17 July (men) and Tuesday 18 July (women)
BMX: Saturday 15 July (qualifying rounds) and Sunday 16 July (finals)
Track cycling: Tuesday 25 July to Sunday 30 July
