Mathieu van der Poel makes huge statement one week before MTB World Championships with second place in Les Gets

Mathieu van der Poel made an immediate impression in Les Gets on Sunday in his first cross-country mountain bike race in 11 months. The Alpecin-Premier Tech rider spent the entire race at the front before the victory came down to a head-to-head battle with Specialized rider Adrien Boichis on the final lap. Van der Poel eventually finished second, just seven seconds behind the Frenchman — an encouraging result with the Mountain Bike World Championships in Val di Sole now only one week away.

Van der Poel had already competed in Friday's short-track race in the Alps, primarily to secure himself a better starting position for Sunday. The Dutchman finished tenth in the short race, which meant he was able to line up on the second row for the cross-country event. His return to mountain biking in Les Gets came after an 11-month absence from the discipline.

"Sunday will be the first test to see where I stand on the mountain bike," the Dutch rider said ahead of the race. "Next week at the World Championships in Val di Sole, I won't be racing the XCC. The rules are different there, so I'll have to start the XCO from the fifth row anyway. That obviously won't make it any easier."

"The strategy for Sunday will depend on how I feel and how my legs are that day. The key will be not to burn out. That's the most important thing," Van der Poel explained before the race. He has made no secret of the fact that becoming mountain bike world champion remains one of the major goals still on his cycling résumé, and Sunday's performance provided a significant indication that he can contend with the very best again.

Van der Poel stayed true to his words and initially opted to follow during the opening phase of the race rather than immediately forcing the pace. He settled into a leading group alongside six rivals: French riders Adrien Boichis, Luca Martin and Mathis Azzaro, Chile's Martin Vidaurre Kossmann, Italy's Simone Avondetto and Canada's Cole Punchard. The group remained closely matched as the race began to take shape.

On lap five, Van der Poel moved to the front for the first time, while Punchard and Azzaro were forced to let the other riders go. That was largely the result of the high pace being dictated by Boichis and Martin, who had finished first and second respectively in Friday's short-track race. The two Frenchmen also managed to put Van der Poel under pressure, but the Dutchman handled everything they threw at him and remained firmly in contention.

Van der Poel boldly took over at the front on the penultimate lap, while Paul Seixas, watching the race from the sidelines, was given the honor of ringing the bell for the final lap. Five riders began that last lap together, but Boichis soon accelerated. Martin was unable to follow, forcing Van der Poel to dig deep to close the gap and keep the Frenchman within reach as the battle for victory developed.

On the descent, the Frenchman ramped up the pressure even further, but Van der Poel also demonstrated his technical skills during the head-to-head battle. On the climb, the Boichis increased the pressure on the descent, but Van der Poel also demonstrated the technical skills that have made him such a threat across multiple cycling disciplines. On the climb, the Dutchman fought his way back onto the wheel of his younger rival. Boichis then managed to open a few meters in the final descent, however, and the Alpecin-Premier Tech rider could not close the gap again. Boichis won in 1:19:48, with Van der Poel crossing the line seven seconds later in second place.then latched onto the wheel of his young rival, who was able to pull away by a few meters from the Apecin-Premier Tech rider on the final descent. MVDP was unable to close that gap.

1. Adrien Boichis
2. Mathieu van der Poel
3. Martin Vidaurre