Mathieu van der Poel aiming to seize Crans Montana opportunity, big or small: “I will also travel there earlier"

The leader of Alpecin-Deceuninck was forced to end his summer program earlier than planned when he withdrew from the Tour de France. “I was still struggling for a while. I had a lot of coughing, especially during strenuous efforts. I had to avoid those at first, and it took a while before I could push myself hard again,” Van der Poel said about his pneumonia.

That will no longer be an excuse in the Renewi Tour, he emphasizes. "I'm going to try to compete for stage and overall wins. Going all out a few times won't be a problem with this course. There are plenty of opportunities to race here, which is why I'm at the start. Friday and Sunday are particularly tough, ideal for getting into a rhythm. I'm not coming here just to ride, but we'll have to wait and see."

Why did you choose the five-day race in the Netherlands and Belgium to prepare for mountain biking? "I want to gain some competition experience ahead of next Sunday's World Cup in Les Gets. It will be a good final test ahead of the World Championships, but it's not like I'm racing the Renewi Tour with the World Championships in mind. This week is for general fitness, after which I can focus on training on the mountain bike.

”It's especially nice to push myself hard a few more times, which is even easier in races. I lost my motivation during training from time to time, even in Spain. Jasper Philipsen and I had to really encourage each other every now and then,“ says MVDP with a smile. ”Hopefully, I can finish that race feeling good."

In Belgium, he has already been back on his mountain bike. "In Spain, I worked on my basics, and then at home, I did a few rides to get used to my position. I'm also going to Les Gets earlier to do some more rides, and I'll do the same before the World Championships. I did the same in Nove Mesto (where he rode his mountain bike in May), which gives you extra time to get to know the course and get a feel for it."

Van der Poel is realistic about his chances in Crans-Montana, where the MTB World Championships will be held. “The chance of me becoming world champion is small, but there's always a chance, of course. I don't really have a reference point, but Tom Pidcock has shown that it's possible,” he says, referring to the British rider who won in Andorra. “Although he is, of course, still a better mountain biker than me. It's also difficult to compare: the level and the wattages are extremely high, but when mountain bikers try it on the road, it doesn't always work out.”

The Dutchman will start in row four in Switzerland, which is already a disadvantage. The only remedy for that is to ride more and score points. “The plan is to do more mountain biking in the future, as I did before corona. After that, I'll be back on the road more in the summer, which I also enjoy more. The starting position is indeed even more important in mountain biking than in cyclo-cross.”

Van der Poel doesn't know when that might be. “The Los Angeles Games in 2028 are still a long way off, but in theory, it could be a nice end goal. I'll be nearing the end of my career by then. It also depends on the road race, which was a problem in Paris. I hope it suits me very well or not at all, because that would make the choice a bit easier.”

First, there is the fall, when some races may be added after the Mountain Bike World Championships. Subject to change. “The European Road Championships and World Gravel Championships are still under discussion. They are quite late in the season, and you have to keep going for one or two races. It also depends on how the mountain biking goes and how I feel afterwards. I would like to do the World Gravel Championships, but there is also a chance that I will opt for rest instead of three weeks of training.”