Mathieu Van Der Poel Will Not Compete in MTB Race at the Paris Olympics
With the Paris Olympics this summer, putting together Mathieu Van Der Poel's summer program was always going to be a bit of a puzzle. Now, after seeing the road course in Paris, which he says suits him, the decision has been made to skip the mountain bike race altogether.
The Dutch racer said in a statement released by his Alpecin-Deceuninck team that putting his full focus on the combination of the Tour de France and the road race is “the most logical” choice. He considers the Tour de France the "best possible preparation for the Games."
 | This is the most logical choice to be able to prepare for my goals without time pressure. The combination with MTB was too difficult. It ensures that I have a little more time and thus can prepare longer and better. |
Van der Poel has had an incredible season on the road this spring, winning the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix classics and has decided that his best chances to win an Olympic gold medal will be in the road race.
| Let’s say I chose the most logical thing. My first half of the season was quite long. First the cyclocross season. After a short break, I resumed training in function of the spring season and I continued that campaign up to Liège-Bastogne-Liège. Now, if I want to focus fully on mountain biking and be perfectly prepared, I have to start as early as next weekend in Nove Mesto, the Czech manche of the MTB World Cup. So, in consultation with the team, I opted for a slightly longer rest period, after which I can build up to the Tour de France and the Olympic road race without time pressure. The fact that I am currently riding in the rainbow jersey has indirectly played a bit of a role. It’s a special year. As world champion I like to ride in that jersey as much as possible. So I also prefer not to miss the Tour de France. And that proved to be a good preparation last year, then towards the World Championships. |
Currently, the Netherlands is ranked 29th in the nation standings which means that there might not even be a spot for a Dutch male rider even if Van Der Poel went on a points-hunting spree before the qualification period ends on May 26th since only nations ranked 1-19 qualify an athlete to go to Paris. We could still see Van Der Poel on the start line in an Olympic mountain bike race again and look for redemption after disaster in Tokyo 2021, but we'll have to wait for LA 2028 when the Dutch rider will be 33 years old.
| Who knows what’s still possible in 2028 in Los Angeles? That’s still a long time away, but I’ll be in a different phase of my career then,” he said. “Maybe then I can put everything on that mountain biking. This year the combination is just too difficult. |
In the meantime, Van Der Poel will be assisting teammate Jasper Philipsen in his hunt for stage wins and a possible green jersey at the Tour de France and will also be on the hunt for a stage win himself, before turning his focus to the Olympic road race.
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Van der Poel, practice ramp both absent from Olympic MTB race?
Something about beating up Australian teenagers?
Stick with the facts.
There are videos of the test event from last year.
Mathieu? Is that you?
And to continue that analogy, if he looks like a baby we all look like sperm.
I'am mostly upset about the national MTB coach (a former road cyclist), who is such on hand of MvdP that other talents who are fully committed to MTB will not pursue any career.
The national MTB coach (Gerben de Knegt) is already looking ahead at 2028 with MvdP. That's nuts and not at all in spirit of any sport.
Milan Vader already changed disciplines because he didn't want to ride for MvdP qualification. And now the Netherlands have no representation because of MvdP's disrespect.
If you think he is just a 'leg machine' you've never seem him do cyclocross races, or seen any of the many video's where he shows his skills in a road race (casually catapulting a water bottle to the side of the road with his front while while riding in a pack at full speed, for example), and you are dismissing his many MTB wins. You might want to check his MTB palmares. Several World Cup wins, European champion, etc.
Most of the pro MTB riders would kill for his results.
And Pidcock has also been known to crash stupidly like a muppet in some races, that doesn't remove anything from his talent.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4UioSicz5
I am pretty sure any great rider, including the best downhill riders had a few stupid crash like that. Sadly for MvDP some of his crash in MTB happened in 2 majors events, olympics and world champs.
Not saying he's the best, but he definitely classifies as a mtn biker. There is just not the time to efficiently focus full-time on all categories in cycling, but I personally appreciate that he dabbles in between all of them on that level. Shows the love of the sport. He doesn't has to choose.. It's like saying that Sam Hill never was a DH champ because he transitioned to enduro.
Most people try to hide it if they know nothing about a subject, but her you are, proudly showcasing it.
Calling him a roady is verifiably wrong, calling him a 'glorified' roady is just totally laughable.