Attention World Championship mountain bikers: Van der Poel gains confidence in Les Gets – "Got better with every lap"

However, the first lap did not go smoothly: Van der Poel lost many positions in the scramble. "In the first lap, everything that could go wrong did go wrong," he laughs in the flash interview. "I made all the wrong decisions and was stuck behind riders who were struggling. That was somewhat disappointing. After that, I managed to catch up with the leading group, but I lost a lot of time on the descent. That's where I lost the race."

The former European champion is not yet at his best, but he draws confidence from his comeback. "I felt good, but I lacked the punch you need in mountain biking. I rode at my own pace from start to finish, which is why I kept yo-yoing at the back of the front group. Ultimately, I realized that my position was secure. I enjoyed racing, but with a little luck, I could have achieved more today."

In mid-September, Van der Poel will be at the start in Wallis, Switzerland. There, he hopes to become world champion in mountain biking for the first time, but his starting position will not be ideal. What's more, his early preparation in Nove Mesto went badly: he fell and was unable to finish the race. This time, things went a lot better. "The goal was to stay on the bike, which is luck. I enjoyed myself, and I improved lap after lap. I can be happy with the race I rode."