“He was very clear that the World Championships would be his last race of the season”: Mathieu van der Poel skips Euros as Dutch team turn to Poels for Euros
Cycling
Mathieu van der Poel had already made up his mind before the World Championships in Montreal: once the rainbow-jersey race was over, his season would be finished. According to Dutch national team coach Koos Moerenhout, there was never any serious consideration of adding the European Championships in Ljubljana to the former world champion's schedule.
“He was very clear that the World Championships would be his last race of the season,” Moerenhout said in a recent interview. The Dutch coach understands Van der Poel’s decision, particularly given the significant difference between the two courses.
Montreal offered a long and demanding route of around 270 kilometers, with the race ultimately won by Brandon McNulty after a succession of attacks among the leading contenders. Van der Poel completed the podium in third, taking bronze behind McNulty and Michael Matthews.
The European Championships, however, present a very different challenge. The Ljubljana course is considerably shorter (196km) but features a steep climb that will be tackled five times, making the race particularly demanding for riders who are not pure climbers.
“I think the course in Ljubljana is even more suited to climbers than the one in Montreal,” Moerenhout said. “There is a two-kilometer climb with an average gradient of 10 percent that has to be climbed five times. That makes it a very tough course.”
Mathieu van der Poel took bronze at the 2026 World Championship road race in Montreal
A very different race for the Netherlands
The absence of Van der Poel changes the Dutch team's approach to the European Championships. Moerenhout expects a race that develops differently from the World Championships, both because of the distance and because of the type of riders likely to remain in contention.
“That gives a very different dynamic. The European Championships cannot be compared with the World Championships. In Montreal it was a 270-kilometer race, while here we are riding almost 200 kilometers. That makes a big difference in the way the race unfolds,” he explained.
“Normally, more riders can handle that distance, whereas a World Championships is more in the category of the Monuments. Because of that, the group is much smaller in the finale.”
The Netherlands will therefore arrive in Slovenia without the rider who finished third in Montreal, and with a squad built more around developing younger riders and using the experience of its veterans.
One of those younger riders is Senna Remijn, who has attracted attention as one of the country's prospects for the future. Moerenhout sees the European Championships as an opportunity to give him valuable experience.
“He finds a nice course here that should suit him. He is also someone I would like to take along to get to know him better during a championship like this. In addition, it is important that he gains experience in this way. With those guys, we are mainly looking toward the future.”
Read also
Poels takes the leadership role
With Van der Poel absent, Wout Poels will take on the leadership role for the Dutch team in Ljubljana. The course should suit the experienced climber, while his experience could also prove particularly valuable to a relatively young group.
“On this course, he should be able to perform well. In addition, with so many debutants in orange, he can play an important role as a mentor. Wout is someone who still lives for his profession at the highest level, so those young guys can learn a lot from him,” Moerenhout concluded.
Félix SernaCycling Journalist
Félix Serna is a writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2025. He covers professional cycling across both the men’s and women’s calendars, with a focus on UCI rankings, race developments, and rider performance. His work includes interview-based reports, liveblogs, and tournament coverage designed to provide clear, accurate context throughout the season.
In his reporting, Félix regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical reference. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. He holds a bachelor’s degree in International Studies.
claps 0visitors 0
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- That's your copy and paste response LOL ! Your mommy should take away your keyboard CLOWN !frieders304-10-2026
- You are back with your American TDS crap again ! Maybe do some homework before typing next time!frieders304-10-2026
- i dont give a monkeys about the poll ,its simple i dont follow him or his team.
Davide03-10-2026 - PR to Tudor hardly means the end of WorldTour, they basically get invited to everything. Lidl-Trek German now??? Instead of asking if their football team is white enough, maybe that crowd should ask if their cycling team is German enough. American owner, main sponsor Hardly a German rider or staff member or equipment provider. Anyone have background to this decision, was it gifted to guarantee a long-term commitment from Lidl the way Ineos brown-nosed Netcompany?Jumpyjohn03-10-2026
- Maybe their mechanics are willing to step in? Or they can convert a few on the bench of ManU.Jumpyjohn03-10-2026
- Opening a gap over Pidcock (who must know the course by heart now) on a technical descent must take some doing.Jumpyjohn03-10-2026
- This poll placed here is like asking something about Trump on Fox, really unbiased ;-)Jumpyjohn03-10-2026
- I will first look at results, not budgets to judge who is falling behind. I’m no fan of teams increasing budgets because others do, it’s an unhealthy spiral that can only lead to problems and complications. If cycling were as strict with spending rules as some other sports, UAE would now be digging themselves out a City sized hole.Jumpyjohn03-10-2026
- You forgot the probably fake doping disqualification at another Giro to ensure an Italian win. Probably worse than the individual hitting him to ensure a French TdF winner as it was orchestrated by cycling officials. I wouldn’t be surprised if mafia and betting had something to do with it but it was a smart enough tactic to avoid any kind of suspicion or investigation, almost impossible to prove but knowing the way the world and humanity works, completely plausible.Jumpyjohn03-10-2026
- You’re giving yourself away (as usual) with all the details and expressions we’re used to here.Jumpyjohn03-10-2026
Loading
Write a comment