“Exactly what I needed” – Mathieu van der Poel brimming with confidence ahead of mountain bike campaign

Mathieu van der Poel left the Renewi Tour without the overall victory, but his stage win and aggressive riding showed that he is still in the formidable shape we have seen throughout the entire of 2025. The Dutchman, who had to abandon the Tour de France last month, was back in competition for the first time since then. While he could not stop Arnaud De Lie from taking the final honours, his performances underlined that his condition remains strong. Now, his focus shifts to the mountain bike season, with the World Cup in Les Gets and the World Championships in Crans-Montana looming.

Van der Poel himself admitted he had been racing on the limit throughout the Belgian stage race. He told HLN, "I went all out for that first sprint, but I was at my limit. On Friday in Geraardsbergen, I also noticed that I was reaching my limit pretty quickly."

He knew that beating De Lie would require wearing him down. "To win here, I had to make it tough. I also heard that Arnaud De Lie had been dropped a few times." Yet when Van der Poel had to ease up, De Lie surged back, sealing the overall win. "It's amazing that he was still able to do that," he admitted after finishing second.

For Alpecin-Deceuninck, the Renewi Tour was not only about chasing victory, but also about sharpening Van der Poel’s preparation for mountain biking. Christoph Roodhooft, the team’s sporting manager, put it into perspective: "The end of the season is approaching. You can see that in the rest of the peloton." He added that the Renewi Tour had been part of a clear training plan for Van der Poel’s off-road targets. Van der Poel himself agreed: "I'm positive about my form. This was exactly what I needed. The effort I had to put in in the final is very similar to that of a mountain bike race."

Adjusting back to the mountain bike has been an important part of the build-up. "I rode the mountain bike a few times beforehand to get used to that position. That's the biggest adjustment for me. The technique will come naturally once I can ride the course every day starting Wednesday. I did the same thing in May in the run-up to Nove Mesto, but this time I hope to finish."

The starting grid, however, is a concern. "I'll only start from the fourth row, and in mountain biking, the start is even more important than in cyclocross. My chances of becoming world champion are still slim after this week, but I do think I made the difference this week fitness-wise. Now I need a few days of rest, and then Les Gets will be the real test."

Roodhooft confirmed that the plan is on track. "Mathieu is doing well. There were no doubts, but he hadn't been on the mountain bike for a while, and we'll make up for that this week. We leave for Les Gets on Wednesday." That preparation is essential, especially considering his last outing at Nové Město in May ended in disappointment. Then, Van der Poel’s return to MTB racing was cut short by two heavy crashes. He went down early in lap one while attempting a risky pass, before a second fall on the technical washboard section forced him out entirely. It was an unusual sight, a rider normally so dominant looking vulnerable on two wheels.

Those setbacks serve as a reminder that the switch back to mountain biking is never straightforward, even for a rider of Van der Poel’s caliber. Yet his form on the road in Belgium suggests that he is approaching the discipline with top shape. If his words are any indication, he views the Renewi Tour as the perfect tune-up, despite missing the top step of the podium. After a short period of rest, all eyes will turn to Les Gets to see whether he is ready for a true run at another rainbow jersey.