Mathieu van der Poel gets Short Track boost from new UCI rule ahead of Tom Pidcock showdown

Despite sitting 246th in the UCI mountain bike ranking, Van der Poel is eligible for the XCC through his position in the road and cyclocross rankings. A strong result could also significantly improve his starting position for Sunday’s race, while offering a first test ahead of the Short Track World Championships in Val di Sole.

It will be the first time since 2023 that the two multidisciplinary stars have faced each other in a mountain bike weekend, and comes just days before the World Championships in Val di Sole, where both are expected to challenge for the rainbow jersey.

Van der Poel has turned his attention away from the road following a successful Tour de France, where he won two stages, including the finale on the Champs Élysées. Pidcock also enjoyed a strong Tour, finishing ninth overall and twice reaching the podium from breakaways.

Both riders then took some time away from racing before switching their focus towards mountain biking.

For Van der Poel, the World Championships are one of the biggest remaining objectives of his career. The Dutchman has already won world titles on the road, in cyclocross and in gravel, but the elite mountain bike rainbow jersey continues to elude him.

His best result at the Mountain Bike World Championships remains the bronze medal he won in Lenzerheide in 2018. His more recent attempts have brought less success. Van der Poel crashed on the opening lap of the 2023 World Championships in Glasgow, while last year he finished 29th in Crans Montana.

Les Gets will be Van der Poel’s first mountain bike race of the 2026 season and his only competitive outing in the discipline before the World Championships on August 30. Since the Tour de France, he has spent time training at altitude in Livigno as he builds towards Val di Sole.

The French venue is already familiar territory. Van der Poel finished sixth in the World Cup race in Les Gets last year despite arriving with limited mountain bike preparation, underlining his ability to compete near the front against riders who focus on the discipline throughout the season.

This time, his weekend will begin with the Short Track on Friday. Until last season, Van der Poel would not have been eligible to start the XCC from his current position in the UCI mountain bike ranking, with access determined by the XCO World Cup standings and mountain bike ranking.

The UCI changed those criteria for 2026, with riders inside the top 10 of the cyclocross ranking or top 20 of the road ranking now also able to access the Short Track. Van der Poel meets those requirements, opening the door for him to race in Les Gets despite being ranked 246th in mountain biking.

Friday’s race could also help his position for Sunday. The top 24 finishers in the Short Track will start the XCO from the first three rows, meaning a strong result could put Van der Poel much closer to the front. Even if he misses the top 24, his road and cyclocross rankings allow him to benefit from the fifth row provision, ensuring he will not start from the back of the field.

The XCC will also provide useful preparation for Val di Sole. Van der Poel is set to compete in the Short Track World Championships on August 27, giving him an opportunity in Les Gets to test himself against the discipline’s leading specialists before racing for the rainbow jersey.

Pidcock arrives with more recent mountain bike experience. The Briton raced the World Cup round in Nové Město earlier this season and took victory, reinforcing his status as one of the leading contenders whenever he returns to the discipline.

He is already an elite XCO world champion and a two time Olympic gold medallist, having won the title at both Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024.

The two last faced each other in a mountain bike race in September 2023, during a test event on the course that would later host the Olympic competition in Paris. Neither featured prominently at the front that day, with Van der Poel finishing 28th and Pidcock 36th.