Mathieu van der Poel's spectacular comeback falls short at Les Gets
The Dutchman will look to the Mountain Bike World Championships with increased optimism after the World Cup at Les Gets on Sunday. After starting at the back of the grid, Van der Poel fought his way towards the front in the finale, but his dramatic fight back fizzled out on the last lap, and he had to settle for sixth.
Mathieu van der Poel warmed up for his tilt at the mountain bike world title with sixth place at the World Cup in Les Gets on his return to the discipline on Sunday.
It was the Dutchman's first mountain bike outing since he crashed out of the Nove Mesto World Cup in May, and he was compelled to start from the back of the grid. After struggling to move up on the opening lap, Van der Poel found his rhythm thereafter, picking his way through the field.
By the fourth of the day’s eight laps, Van der Poel had closed almost to within touching distance of the leaders, and his race settled into a discernible pattern thereafter. He drew closer to the front every time the trail climbed, but he found himself squandering those gains on the technical descents.
“I think on the first lap, almost everything went wrong that could go wrong,” Van der Poel told TNT Sports. “I took all the wrong decisions, and I was behind all the riders struggling, so that was a bit of a pity. Then afterwards, I always just reached the back of the first group, but on the descent, I was always losing time. I think that’s where I lost the race today.”
Van der Poel was still in the hunt for victory on the final lap, but he was distanced by the accelerations at the head of the race. French champion Luca Martin soloed to victory, while Van der Poel came home a minute down in sixth place.
“I felt good, but I missed the punch you need in mountain bike,” Van der Poel said. “I just did my own pace from start to finish. That’s why I was a bit yo-yoing at the back of the leading group. At the end, I saw my position was safe and I enjoyed the racing. But I think with a bit more luck, there was more in it for me today.”
Van der Poel will hope the performance augurs well for the World Championships in Crans-Montana on September 14, where he will again start near the back of the grid. Already a world champion in road, gravel and cyclocross, Van der Poel is targeting a rainbow jersey in a fourth discipline. The Alpecin-Deceuninck rider has already confirmed that he will not line out at the road Worlds in Rwanda.
His power was evident on the long climb on the course in Les Gets, but he knows he still has ground to recoup on the men who have been racing on the mountain bike circuit all year. After the disappointment in Nove Mesto, he was satisfied with his outing here.
“The goal was to stay on the bike, of course,” Van der Poel said. “I managed to do that today, and I enjoyed it. I improved lap after lap, I think. I can be happy with the race I’ve done.”
