Van der Poel eyes MTB world title after disappointing Tour abandon

He had been feeling unwell for several days, and tests confirmed pneumonia. For Van der Poel, who had briefly worn the yellow jersey earlier in the race, it was a bitter disappointment. 

“It’s always difficult to stay healthy in a Grand Tour. This year I was just unlucky to get sick,” he told Het Nieuwsblad at the Etten-Leur criterium, his first public appearance since leaving the Tour.

“It was a serious disappointment to leave the Tour. Especially because the final week included some beautiful stages, in particular the last one. It still took more than a week before I could train with any real intensity. I really suffered from that pneumonia. Now things are finally starting to turn around again.”

The reset comes with a new focus. This week he will line up at the Renewi Tour, not so much with eyes on the overall but to sharpen the legs and bank racing hours. From there, his programme is expected to continue with the Mountain Bike World Cup in Les Gets and then the World Championships in Crans-Montana. 

Van der Poel has made the rainbow jersey his goal, but he admits his participation is not yet set in stone. “That is on my programme in principle, but first we have to see how the Renewi Tour goes,” he said. “The Renewi Tour is necessary to build up racing rhythm again with the mountain bike in mind.”

That MTB rainbow jersey is the missing piece in Van der Poel’s collection. He has worn rainbows on the road, in cyclocross and in gravel, but not yet on the mountain bike. Starting at the back of the grid due to limited UCI points won’t make it easier. “I’ll have to make up ground straight away,” he said. “In the future I want to ride more mountain bike races to secure a better start position. This year I’ll miss that, but I still hope to play a role.”

And with Van der Poel on the start line, you know it will never be without colour. The only question is whether it will be as colourful as a rainbow.