Mathieu van der Poel has done almost everything in cycling—six cyclocross world titles, two monument wins in 2024 and rainbow jerseys in both gravel and road. Yet, even for the 29-year-old Dutch superstar, there’s still one glaring gap on his résumé: the mountain bike cross-country world championship.
“If I could choose, I would like to become world champion mountain biker this year,” Van der Poel recently admitted. “I haven’t succeeded yet, and it keeps playing in the back of my mind.”
A discipline that feels like home
Mountain biking isn’t new for Van der Poel. His two previous attempts at mountain bike worlds, in 2018 and 2023, ended with a third-place finish and a DNF, leaving him hungry for redemption. Despite dominating across multiple disciplines, the mountain bike rainbow jersey remains an elusive prize.
“Winning this title would mean so much to me,” he shared. “It’s not just about completing the set; it’s about returning to a discipline that feels pure and thrilling.”
The bigger picture: Los Angeles 2028
While Van der Poel’s immediate focus is the 2025 mountain bike season, he’s also eyeing the long game—an Olympic gold medal at the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
“LA will almost certainly be my last chance. I’ll be 33 and it would be incredible to finish my Olympic journey on a mountain bike.”
Prioritizing
Though Van der Poel has become a regular fixture at the Tour de France, the race doesn’t hold the same allure for him as off-road challenges.
“Apart from trying to win stages and wear the yellow jersey, there’s not much to gain for me in the Tour,” he admitted. “I’d rather ride five races in which I’m competing to win than 20 stages in which I’m not competing for the win half the time.”
That clarity is shaping his 2025 calendar, with his spring campaign focusing on the classics—especially Paris-Roubaix and the Tour of Flanders—and a significant shift toward training for mountain biking after the spring classics season. Of course,
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