Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) is shifting his focus for the remainder of the season after finishing runner-up overall in the Renewi Tour on Sunday, where he was unable to outsprint Arnaud De Lie in the finale.
The Dutchman will now set aside his road bike and return to mountain biking as he targets the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in Crans-Montana on September 14.
“I feel good about my form. This was exactly the kind of effort I needed the intensity in the final is very similar to what you experience in a mountain bike race,” Van der Poel told VTM Nieuws.
Despite falling short of victory in Leuven, he still pushed De Lie hard, briefly moving ahead with time bonuses before fading in the last sprint. “I went all out for that first sprint, but I was on the limit,” he admitted. “Even when I won in Geraardsbergen, I felt I hit my ceiling quickly.”
After a round of golf on Sunday evening, Van der Poel’s next outing will be the UCI Mountain Bike World Series in Les Gets next weekend. He has already spent some time training on his MTB to adapt to the position and expects his technical sharpness to return once he gets consistent practice on the course.
Earlier this year, his mountain bike campaign in Nové Město ended with a crash and a broken wrist. He will also face another challenge at Les Gets, starting from the fourth row due to a lack of UCI points a significant handicap in mountain biking.
“Starting position is crucial, even more than in cyclocross,” he explained. “That makes my chances of winning the world title slim, but this week definitely boosted my fitness. A few days of rest now, and then Les Gets will be the real test.”
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