Mathieu van der Poel isn’t leaving anything to chance. The Dutch cycling sensation arrived in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, a full week ahead of the 2025 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships. While most riders are still fine-tuning their form elsewhere, Van der Poel is already lapping the course and adjusting to the altitude. And he says it’s all part of the plan.
“It’s a bit higher there than Les Gets, so I need some time to adjust,” he said. Crans-Montana sits at roughly 1,500 metres above sea level, making acclimatization a key factor. “Once I’m there, I can get some recon runs in. That’s the main goal.”
Sharp form after Les Gets comeback
Van der Poel made his return to World Cup mountain bike racing two weeks ago in Les Gets, charging from a fifth-row start to finish sixth overall.
“The goal was to stay on the bike,” he said post-race. “I enjoyed it and got better every lap. I’m happy with how it went.”
While he never got the chance to contest the win, the effort proved his form is trending upward at the right time.
Eyes on the rainbow jersey
The former road world champion is no stranger to global success, but a mountain bike world title has remained elusive. With the world championships looming, Van der Poel is now focused on the details: staying healthy, keeping the workload sharp and letting the altitude training take hold.
“I just have to try to stay healthy and make some small efforts,” he said.
The elite men’s XCO race takes place Sunday, Sept. 15 at 13:30 CET in Crans-Montana. And this time, Van der Poel isn’t aiming for sixth place. You can catch all the action on Flobikes. And if you tune in at 10:30 CET you’ll also be able to watch the women’s U23 XCO race.
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