🎥 Cycling fan on a road bike can't keep up with Mathieu van der Poel on a mountain bike
CyclingTuesday, 18 August 2026 at 21:14
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Follow us on GoogleMathieu van der Poel seems to be diving headfirst into a short but intense period of mountain biking. The Dutch rider from Alpecin-Premier Tech has been back on his bike for a while now and is working toward his return to competition. During training, he was already unstoppable, despite riding with wider tires.
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Van der Poel won the final stage of the Tour de France in spectacular fashion on Sunday, July 26, and of course he needed a little time to recover from that. Two weeks after his explosive performance on the Champs-Élysées, Van der Poel was back in action, riding a mountain bike.
The superstar is in Livigno, where, like many other riders, he is holding a training camp in preparation for his upcoming goals. There, he ran into Remco Evenepoel, among others, and even took a quick spin on a road bike. However, he spent most of his training hours on a mountain bike.
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Mathieu van der Poel on a mountain bike
Van der Poel impresses on the mountain bike
After it was confirmed that Van der Poel would be racing again on a mountain bike in Les Gets on Sunday, August 23, a video was released the next day showing that he is ready to compete.
In a short 11-second video clip, we see Van der Poel ride away at an impressive speed from a cycling fan who was trying to keep up with the Dutchman’s mountain bike on a road bike. The fact that he had averaged 336 watts up to that point showed that he was no slouch.
Still, the effort proved too much for Van der Poel. When he stood up on the pedals and the numbers on the bike computer climbed above 500 watts, Van der Poel pulled away on wider handlebars and even wider tyres.
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David Bavin-HobbsChief Editor
David has been working in the sports & cycling industry for 16 years. Covering racing, business and technology, he has worked in communications for cycling companies, teams, and as a journalist. His proudest achievement is winning the first bike race he ever entered. He hasn't won a race since.
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Latest Comments
- - Massive respect for how he frames the pressure. You can see the culture shift: from chasing UCI points to executing for a leader who actually circles back with credit. That Romandie example says a lot about Pogacar and UAE’s environment—calm, ruthless, effective. Vamos Vuelta.breakawaybikerd18-08-2026
- - So wait, he’s already done the Tour twice but never had a WorldTour win on the team until this year? How does that work—do riders not get “wins” if they’re helping a leader? Confusing bit for me.raceready718-08-2026
- - Interesting read, but the piece glosses over his actual role in Spain. Is he on bottle duty through the flats or earmarked for high-mountain pacing? Also, calling every UAE GT roster “Tour-level” feels a bit hyperbolic—stacked, yes, but the Vuelta is different terrain and rhythm.samanthak18-08-2026
- - Love this move for Vermaerke. He was rock solid at DSM/Picnic PostNL, but UAE-XRG is the perfect environment to sharpen his climbing and positioning. If he nails his Vuelta domestique duties for Pogi, he’s on the fast track to a Tour roster spot next year.gearguru3318-08-2026
- - Qué tragedia. Muito respeito para a família. The investigator’s timeline helps, but still feels like a systemic safety failure on open-road races during descents.jeremya16-08-2026
- - Can someone explain what the broom wagon actually signifies? If it hadn’t passed, why was a civilian car allowed on course at all? I’m confused how those protocols work when riders are scattered.tourdeforce916-08-2026
- - Sorry, but this reads a bit like passing the buck. If signage was the only control at that junction, that’s not enough. A single marshal could have prevented this. Operational plan might’ve been followed, but was it adequate?gearguru3316-08-2026
- - If the GNR says it’s “humanly impossible” to cover every access point, shouldn’t organisers rethink neutral service positioning or add mobile motos for gaps on fast descents? This was a secondary access, but speed on that downhill made it primary in practice.jennifer1916-08-2026
- - Heartbreaking. The detail about the broom wagon not yet passing is crucial—explains why Finlay thought the road was still sealed. Condolences to his family and team. RIP Fin.robert6516-08-2026
- - Tears on the front row for NSN… goosebumps. Chapeau to the bunch for letting them lead the pace. Esto es el verdadero espíritu del ciclismo.julien15-08-2026
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