Mathieu van der Poel totally bummed after the Mountain Bike World Championships: ‘I still don’t have an explanation for that’

Mathieu van der Poel didn't have a good day on Sunday at the Mountain Bike World Championships in Val di Sole. The Dutchman finished in 30th place and was never really in contention. Afterward, he was understandably very disappointed with that result, especially after finishing a strong second in last week’s World Cup in Les Gets.

Van der Poel started in the fifth row, just like the eventual winner, Tom Pidcock, but unlike the Brit, he never made it to the front of the race. “I had no power in my legs today. It just wasn’t good at all. I felt good in training last week and this week. But a mountain bike course doesn’t lie,” Van der Poel told NU.nl after the race.

The Dutchman did manage to move up a few spots, but got stuck around 17th place and eventually dropped back to 30th. Last year, he finished 29th in Crans-Montana, while at Glentress Forest in 2023, he was eliminated in the first round after a fall.

Things didn't go well in Val di Sole. "I realised pretty early in the race that my legs weren't feeling good," said Van der Poel, referring to his second-place finish in Les Gets. "That's why this result comes as a surprise to me. It's the same story as last year. I did well in the race leading up to the World Championships but poorly at the World Championships themselves. I still don’t have an explanation for that.”

"Those poor results are indeed starting to pile up a bit," Van der Poel sighs in an interview with NU.nl. "But last year, I could tell I wasn’t 100 percent at the World Championships. This time, I had expected a lot more from myself. But there’s nothing I can do about it now. Unfortunately, days like this happen from time to time."