Superstar back on his MTB: Mathieu van der Poel is aiming for the World Championship title

Four weeks after his stage victory on the Champs-Élysées, Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin – Premier Tech) is switching disciplines. The 31-year-old will compete in both the short track and the Olympic cross-country events at the World Cup in Les Gets from 21 to 23 August. Switching disciplines is nothing out of the ordinary for Mathieu van der Poel; the versatile Dutchman has already proven on numerous occasions that he can switch between road, mountain biking and cyclo-cross at the very highest level. Following the gruelling Tour de France, he is now using the remaining weeks of the summer to prove himself on the mountain bike and test his form ahead of the upcoming highlights.

Mathieu van der Poel’s preparations for Val di Sole

The UCI MTB World Series has confirmed Mathieu van der Poel’s place on the start list for the French race. Just one week later, from 27 to 30 August, the Mountain Bike World Championships in Val di Sole are on the calendar. The Dutchman finished sixth at Les Gets in 2025, one minute behind winner Luca Martin, who clocked a time of 1:22:03. The race at Les Gets serves as an important yardstick for van der Poel to gauge his current MTB form and as a final assessment of his readiness ahead of the World Championships. The challenging routes in the French Alps offer ideal conditions for building up race-hardening experience and refining technical skills. Mathieu van der Poel will be among the medal contenders in Val di Sole, even though the field will be packed with specialist mountain bikers.

An uncertain road racing season

Van der Poel’s participation in the Canadian WorldTour races on 11 and 13 September is still to be confirmed. The Road World Championships in Montreal from 20 to 27 September, however, are firmly on the schedule. At the 2026 Tour de France, the Dutchman won two stages: Stage 9 from Malemort to Ussel and Stage 21 in Paris. The decision on whether he will compete in Canada will likely depend on his form and how well he recovers from his mountain bike races. His team, Alpecin – Premier Tech, will work with Mathieu van der Poel to finalise the rest of the season’s schedule, ensuring he is optimally prepared for the Road World Championships. The course in Montreal could suit the Dutchman’s explosive riding style, which is why the World Championships are one of his main targets for late summer.