Mathieu van der Poel, who has been crowned world champion in road cycling, cyclo-cross, and gravel, has revealed his main goal for this year.
"If it were up to me, I would choose the mountain bike cross-country world championship title. I haven't been successful in that discipline, and it bothers me," admitted the 29-year-old Dutchman. "The 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles will likely be my last, and it would be great to participate in mountain bike cross-country there."
Van der Poel has competed in two mountain bike cross-country World Championships (2018 and 2023), with his best result being a bronze medal. The star rider for the Alpecin-Deceuninck team, who has participated in the Tour de France for the last four years, doesn't particularly favor the biggest competition in the cycling world.
"Besides stage wins and the yellow jersey, there isn't much more for me to aim for in the Tour. I'd rather participate in five races where I have a chance to win than ride 20 stages where I don't have a chance in half of them," explained van der Poel, adding that his sprinter teammate Jasper Philipsen helps him stay motivated. "When Jasper is on the team, my goal is to help him win as many stages as possible. I enjoy that and it takes some pressure off."
Van der Poel, who is recovering from an injury, confirmed that he will aim for his seventh cyclo-cross World Championship title in February, but he was not yet ready to reveal his exact road cycling program. However, the spring classics will definitely be on his schedule.
