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Final verdict: De Knegt disappointed: Van der Poel skips mountain biking this summer, but competes in Olympic road race and Tour de France
CyclingWednesday, 15 May 2024 at 10:43
After much anticipation, the die has been cast. Mathieu van der Poel has laid out his plans for the summer, making some tough choices. The world champion will skip his beloved mountain biking to focus on the Olympic road race and the Tour de France.
A press release provided further details about his decisions. "It's the most sensible choice. It allows me more time to prepare longer and better," explained the 29-year-old Dutch athlete. There were many questions about whether he would participate in the Olympic mountain bike event. It’s a discipline MVdP loves, and he already had a spot secured. Additionally, the course seemed tailor-made for Van der Poel, who acknowledged that it was indeed a difficult puzzle to solve.
Will Van der Poel then switch to mountain biking for the Los Angeles Olympics?
"Just the road race? Only mountain biking? Or both?", the release reads. "Whether or not combined with the Tour de France, which I personally consider the best possible preparation for the Olympics." Ultimately, the decision has been made and Van der Poel will skip mountain biking and instead ride the road race in Paris, in conjunction with the Tour de France. "Let's just say I've chosen the most logical option. My first half of the season was already quite long, starting with the cyclo-cross season. After a short break, I resumed training for the spring and continued that campaign through to Liège-Bastogne-Liège. If I now want to fully focus on mountain biking and be perfectly prepared, I would need to start next weekend in Nove Mesto, the Czech round of the MTB World Cup."
"In consultation with the team, I've opted for a slightly longer rest period, after which I can prepare for the Tour de France and the Olympic road race without any time pressure," the phenomenon concludes. "And mountain biking? Who knows what might be possible in 2028 in Los Angeles? That's still a long way off, but I'll be at a different stage in my career by then. Maybe then I can devote myself entirely to mountain biking. This year, the combination is just too difficult. The fact that I'm currently riding in the rainbow jersey also played a role indirectly. It’s a special year. As the world champion, I like to wear that jersey as much as possible. So I'd also prefer not to miss the Tour de France. And last year, it proved to be a good preparation for the world championships."
Superduo Van der Poel-Philipsen reunited for Tour de France
Van der Poel, meanwhile, has resumed training in Spain. No competitions are scheduled before the Tour. "I'll head to a high-altitude training camp in La Plagne a week later than the rest of our Tour squad. After that, I'll complete some individual training sessions until the Tour starts in Florence. We've gained enough experience to know that once I'm in competition, I quickly get into good shape. In the Tour, I hope to support my teammate Jasper Philipsen again in his quest for stage wins and possibly the green jersey. And my goal is to win a stage myself this year. Last year, I fell ill just as several opportunities arose. Hopefully, I'll avoid that in this edition."
The schedule for 'the Flame from Ham' has also been announced. Along with the Dutch world champion, he will ride the Tour de France, though the Flemish top sprinter has some preparatory races lined up. Philipsen will participate in the Baloise Belgium Tour (June 12-16) followed by the Belgian Championship (June 23). La Grande Boucle then starts on June 29.
National Coach De Knegt disappointed by Van der Poel's choices, but understands
KNWU national coach Gerben de Knegt has expressed his disappointment with Van der Poel's choices in a statement to NOS. "It's very unfortunate, but understandable," admits the North Brabant native. "Doing both carries a risk. It could end up being nothing twice. And we know by now that when he fully focuses on something, he is often successful."
"It's really a copy-paste," De Knegt concludes, referring to the fact that Van der Poel's choice of combination is similar to 2023. "Mountain biking is a bit more challenging, and it's been a while since he's done it. There are very few who can manage both. Yes, one other person, Tom Pidcock. But between the two, Pidcock has won fewer major road races and has had more success on the mountain bike. Regardless, it's a pity. It's his own decision. He has told me that he definitely plans to return to mountain biking in the future."
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Latest Comments
- Van Aert is really handsome. He can influence me all day! Ditto for Philipsen. Why do you think many of us love cycling?: to see heroic attempts at climbing mountains at high altitudes or to watch speedsters sprint for the finish line or to watch a human being ride at break neck speed down a tricky descent? No, it's all about their lean physiques and muscular legs. (apologies for objectifying these dedicated and amazing athletes).BarwonHeadsUp25-10-2024
- It is unfortunate that the author can't feel the joy that Pogacar brings to the sport and his fans who are legion and I for one feel lucky to have watched such a memorable performance and historic season From the Strada until yesterday with multiple wins in stages in both tours and beyond dominance in the World's. He is proud to wear the Rainbow stripes, shows his leadership to protect his fellows and is as courteous and sportsman-like as the sport allows. He goes early to not have to respond to each attack as all the rest would make him do it. Any racer who could would do the same. Don't "grow tired" of greatness as it is always fleeting.ccrider13-10-2024
- What load of rubbish. Pog is likely a once in a generation cyclist, the like of which hasn't been seen since 'the Cannibal '. How many people were complaining that Merckx was making racing predictable? I remember this year's World RR as one of the most exciting I've watched. Mainly BECAUSE Pog was the favourite and launched what everyone thought (Pog included) was a suicidal attack with 80km to go. For the next 2 hours, I was on the edge of my seat thinking "this is too much, even for Pog". Maybe Zonnefeld prefers the snooze-fest that is a bunch sprint? Like most people I know, I can't watch two hours of the bunch riding very fast... I wait for the final 5km and watch just the sprint. In any event, most races are won from a sprint or lone break. What difference does it make who makes the lone break? Ultimately, the other contenders will have to figure out a way to beat Pog. Even if that means collaboration between teams. It's going to be an exciting few seasons, until the next Pog arrives on the scene. If this is boring, heaven knows what exciting looks like!Michael513-10-2024
- This is not a gravel race. UCI fail, from the surface they are on to team tactics. In what country was the first "gravel race" in what country is the most popular gravel race? Go with the race model that created the discipline.
Barnes127411-10-2024 - And don't forget he has now won 4 of the big 10 races (Grand tours, Monuments and WC/OG) in one year with a chance to make that 5. (5 has only been done once before)Joostmehrtens05-10-2024