Mathieu van der Poel Netherlands biggest medal hope "both on the mountain bike and on the road" according to Gerben de Knegt

Ahead of next summer's Paris Olympic Games, Mathieu van der Poel is yet to fully decide his plans. Will it be both mountain bike and road race or just one? For national coach Gerben de Knegt, the Alpecin-Deceuninck superstar will the nation's big hope.

“Ideally he will finish the Tour before the road race,” says De Knegt in conversation with Wielerflits about the Olympic plans. “Last year that scenario resulted in his best level ever, with which he won the world title. But if he wants to take up mountain biking seriously, he has to train on the Mountain Bike during the weeks of the Tour.”

“If Mathieu chooses that option, the plan is to participate in more mountain bike races in advance,” he continues. “In terms of points, it doesn't make much difference for a better starting position. It's more about the feeling. But that choice is entirely up to him. And I understand that this is a hellish dilemma for him. The Olympic title on the road is also very interesting. And also just realistic when you look at that course. But if he rides the Tour and he still wants to ride the Olympic mountain bike race, then I will not prevent him from doing so.”

No matter van der Poel's hopes however, de Knegt is confident that the 28-year-old is his nation's biggest medal winning hope. "Mathieu van der Poel is someone who is always a medal candidate. Both on the mountain bike and on the road. The original plan has always been the mountain bike race, we discussed that together. But when the road course was announced, it suited him perfectly. It is very difficult," he explains.

“In mountain biking, the best always wins. But with Mathieu's background and that Flemish-like course in Paris, he will normally always be close to the Olympic road title. Especially when that field is so small," he concludes. "Then team tactics play much less of a role. If he's good, no one's going to run him off there. I don't believe that. And of course he feels that too. That's what makes the choice so difficult. He used to have a lot of trouble choosing. This has been less the case in recent years and look what that has brought him.”