Mathieu van der Poel will be the main attraction in the coming days during the Renewi Tour (August 20-24). The rider from Alpecin-Deceuninck aims to play a significant role in the Belgian-Dutch stage race, but above all wants to sharpen his form with an eye on the MTB World Championships.
The 30-year-old Dutchman recently added the Renewi Tour to his schedule. Competing in this road stage race does not mean he will skip mountain biking this fall, as he is expected to start at the MTB World Championships in Valais. In between, he will also race the MTB World Cup in Les Gets (August 31).
To perform at his best at the upcoming MTB Worlds, it is crucial for MVDP to fine-tune his condition further. He had to withdraw from the recent Tour de France due to pneumonia. In the days and weeks following his withdrawal, he still suffered considerably, but now he feels well enough to pin on a race number again.
"I am completely free of the pneumonia I contracted during the Tour," he reflected on the past weeks on Tuesday at the official press presentation of the Renewi Tour with Het Nieuwsblad. "The germs are gone. Thankfully, because it’s already been a while. I had serious trouble with that illness. It took some time before I could train properly again. I also had some after-effects, but now I feel a hundred percent again."
"I really need this stage race as preparation for the MTB Worlds," he emphasized the importance of the Renewi Tour. "I rate my chances of becoming MTB world champion as low, but there is always a chance. It’s a question mark for me what condition I will be in after the pneumonia when I start. We’ll have to wait and see."
Stage win and possibly the overall victory?
"Right now, I’m focusing on this stage race, then I’ll switch gears towards the Worlds. My first goal is to win a stage here; after that, I might step up for an overall win in this Renewi Tour," Van der Poel boldly states. "There are plenty of opportunities to make a race of it. Especially Friday and Sunday are ideal to regain rhythm."
Mathieu van der Poel
