Van der Poel avoids near-crash to secure top 10 on MTB return as Boichis wins in Les Gets

Mathieu van der Poel finished 10th in the short track event at the UCI World Cup in Les Gets, as Adrien Boichis took the victory. 

It marked Van der Poel’s return to mountain bike racing for the first time since last September’s World Championships in Switzerland.

In the women’s race, it was Sina Frei who claimed victory ahead of Jenny Rissveds and Savilia Blunk.

Ranked 246th in the UCI mountain bike standings, Van der Poel started from the back row in Friday’s short track race after earning entry through his position in the road and cyclocross rankings. 

The Dutchman also had plenty to race for beyond the result itself, with a strong finish potentially improving his starting position for Sunday’s cross-country race.

Starting alone on the back row, the Dutchman quickly moved his way through the field, and by the end of the opening lap, found himself in 24th position as Frenchman Boichis led the race.

The third lap saw German Champion Luca Schwarzbauer drop from the head to the tail of the race due to a mechanical issue, as Van der Poel moved up inside the top 20. By lap 4, Van der Poel was in the top 10.

The next couple of laps saw the Dutchman cement himself into the top 10 as he continued to gain positions.

However, Van der Poel narrowly avoided crashing at the start of lap 7 on the rock garden, costing him both momentum and some positions.

By the final lap, a group of six riders were left to contest the victory, with Van der Poel no longer in the top 10.

It was a ferocious contest on the final lap between Luca Martin, David List and Boichis, with the latter taking victory on home soil. 

Boichis, who represented Specialized in the mountain bike field but races for Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe on the road, took inspiration from Remco Evenepoel by delivering the Belgian's trademark phone celebration.

Meanwhile, Van der Poel came home tenth on his return to mountain biking.

"It was really painful," said Van der Poel of the race. "I expected it to be painful, but it hurt more than I wanted it to.”

“Those are the kind of efforts I need. Of course, Sunday is a different thing than today, but sure, it was a painful comeback.”