Van der Poel returns to racing in top shape for Tour — but mountain bike worlds remains a question mark
Cycling
Follow IDL Pro Cycling on Google
Stay up to date with the best cycling news by making us a preferred source on Google.
Follow us on GoogleMathieu van der Poel finally returns to racing on Wednesday. The 31-year-old Dutchman from Alpecin-Premier Tech took a break after Paris-Roubaix that ultimately lasted over two months. Ahead of the Tour de Suisse, Van der Poel spoke to IDL Pro Cycling and others, looking both back and forward.
ADVERTISEMENT
Van der Poel didn't race for too long a spring, though he was there from Omloop Het Nieuwsblad all the way through to Paris-Roubaix. He won the Omloop, as well as the E3 Saxo Classic, and also took two stage wins at Tirreno-Adriatico. At Milan-Sanremo, however, he came away empty-handed, partly due to a crash. At the Tour of Flanders, Tadej Pogacar was simply too good, while at Paris-Roubaix he was undone by mechanical bad luck.
Alpecin-Premier Tech and Van der Poel weren't tempted to push on further. A full two months passed without racing. "I came through that period well, nice and relaxed. I took some time off first, and then did a good training block — first on my own, then with the team. It was a good preparation," he said optimistically on Tuesday in the northern Italian city of Sondrio.
In the five-day Tour de Suisse, which begins in Italy, Van der Poel is hoping to put the finishing touches on his build-up to the Tour de France — the next big goal of 2026. "I always try to win a stage, so I'll be trying to do that this week too. I don't find it particularly special to be racing again after a long break. In training you get enough of an indication and you know what to expect."
Read also
Continue reading below the photo
Van der Poel repeats 2025 build up, hoping for repeat success at the Tour de France
"I'm where I need to be," Van der Poel said with confidence. "I've had a good training camp and a good feeling, so I'm confident." That confidence will also be rooted in the almost identical preparation he did a year ago. Back then, he rode the Critérium du Dauphiné ahead of the Tour, before going on to win a stage at the race itself.
"In broad terms, it's always more or less the same, though this Tour de Suisse is a slightly different race to last year's Dauphiné," he said on the subject. For one thing, the Tour de Suisse has three fewer race days. The Dutchman will have a few punchy stages to show what he can do, along with a time trial and a proper mountain stage.
Continue reading below the photo
Van der Poel would also have liked to do more mountain biking
Did everything go completely smoothly over those two months? Van der Poel had to admit he didn't score a perfect ten, because his back played up a little. "I didn't really have any setbacks, though I did want to ride two mountain bike races. That didn't happen. I had a bit of a back problem, but it was resolved very quickly, so everything went well."
The mountain bike outings were planned to help build some rhythm, as Van der Poel wants to ride the mountain bike World Championships later this year in August in Val di Sole. "Those races were planned as preparation for the mountain bike worlds, but it was starting to become a bit of a double preparation. So we decided to make the Tour de France preparation absolutely perfect."
That much was achieved, and the mountain bike will be dusted off properly after the Tour. "After the Tour de France, we'll focus solely on the mountain bike. There's enough time, with one or two races. It's not ideal, but I do want to give it a proper chance," said Van der Poel, who has already earned his stripes in mountain biking. He won the European Championships back in 2019, but the world title remains a dream.
Read also
Van der Poel is still targeting two World Championships in 2026
After a short, intense focus on the mountain bike, Van der Poel will return to the road. In September, he's normally set to race at the road World Championships in Canada. "Normally that's also in the plans, yes. It will be busy and so much can happen over the summer, but the plan is to do both World Championships."
This summer there's also a third World Championship on the calendar — though as a spectator. Van der Poel confirmed he's been following the FIFA World Cup closely in the United States. "I'm following it, though we haven't had the best start," he said, alluding to the Netherlands drawing 2-2 with Japan in their opening game.
"But normally the team that doesn't start so well ends up becoming world champion, so I'm still holding onto a bit of hope," he said with a laugh. "For now it doesn't really matter yet, though it is a shame that with the time difference it's not always easy for me to follow."
Bram van der PloegEditor-in-chief
Bram van der Ploeg (35) is the proud founder of In de Leiderstrui, IDL Pro Cycling's parent site, launched in 2018. Finally, he could create stories about the sport he had followed since childhood. He is the editor-in-chief on paper, but prefers to be with his recorder next to a rider, a team bus, or in the mud at a cyclocross race. Every year, from February to the end of May, Bram follows the entire Italian cycling season, from the Trofeo Laigueglia to the Giro d'Italia, with the grand finale in October in Lombardy. During that time, he lives in Tuscany, where he has since come to call Italy his 'home'.
IDL-productions
Pogačar, Vingegaard and Van Aert went faster again in 2026... except when they didn't
Team GB dominate, China on the rise, Lavreysen the best ever? Five takeaways from the 2026 Track World Championships
Track World Championships day 2: A golden day for Team GB, Levreysen goes 2 for 2, and Kopecky eliminates the competition
Rumours, speculation and guesswork: 2027 Tour de France route will be revealed live on October 22 in Paris
Vollering adds the Women’s European Championships road race jersey to her rainbow wardrobe
Latest Cycling News
Pedersen says Álvarez was cocky on Lidl-Trek team night out: 'Now he’ll have to start competing'
Bruyneel sees Visma as an excellent home for Seixas: 'Vingegaard is not going to win the Tour'
Former Giro winner Tom Dumoulin records a blistering time at the New York Marathon
Pogačar's 2027 plans could shape Paul Seixas's route route to his top priority, the World Championships
Cyclist Alliance 2026 survey reveals massive inequality in Women's pro peloton
Popular Cycling News
Tadej Pogačar on Mathieu van der Poel and Tom Boonen, but also kiwi/pineapple, visualisation and the Gravel World Championships
Disgruntled Sjklemose could be best suited rider for Tour de France 2027 at Lidl-Trek: 'That doesn’t sit well'
Modern Adventure just keeps growing: Hincapie's team strengthen 2027 roster with 4 great signings
Greg LeMond accuses Lance Armstrong of paying the UCI : 'Very bitter taste in my mouth'
Former Giro winner Tom Dumoulin records a blistering time at the New York Marathon
Latest Comments
- Checking out the European course beforehand is smart. Hope she enjoys racing at home, whatever the result.jennifer1902-11-2026
- How does the starting order get decided in cyclocross? Eighth sounds impressive if she had to work her way through the whole field.cadencekingm02-11-2026
- The article’s timeline seems a bit muddled: it says this was the 2026 Koppenbergcross, then calls it her final race of 2025–Still, her progress is encouraging.pedalpowe2902-11-2026
- It’s lovely to see her smiling and thanking the fans. Taking things week by week sounds like the right approach after such a difficult year.patriciaw02-11-2026
- Eighth after starting on the back row at the Koppenberg is a strong ride. Good to see Fem building race rhythm without the pressure of chasing victories.tourdeforce902-11-2026
- I don’t understand how you can break vertebrae and not feel much pain there. Does that mean the collarbone injury was just more noticeable, or can spinal fractures sometimes cause very little pain? Hope he’s fully healed soon.sprocketspiny01-11-2026
- The recovery-score details are interesting, but they’re not a substitute for proper medical advice. Hopefully the team are keeping a close eye on him and letting the scans—not the urge to train—set the timetable.jennifer1901-11-2026
- Pogacar’s point about the safety gap between the Tour and smaller races is spot on. Riders are going faster than ever, yet some finishes still have awkward turns and road furniture right in the finale. Organisers need to take this seriously.gearguru3301-11-2026
- Two extra vertebrae fractures is a frightening discovery, especially after the concussion and collarbone injury. Glad he’s recovering, but it shows why coming back too soon would be a terrible risk.breakawaybikerd01-11-2026
- The team says it wants answers “as quickly as possible”, but speed shouldn’t come at the expense of a thorough investigation. Since Picnic PostNL commissioned it, will the full report be published? The team’s transparency will matter as much as who leads the inquiry.cyclechamp4530-10-2026