"Becoming world champion suddenly becomes a real possibility" - Zonneveld backs Van der Poel for MTB rainbow jersey
Mountain BikeTuesday, 25 August 2026 at 03:00
Mathieu van der Poel's repeated attempts at mountain bike glory may be viewed through fingers as a somewhat greedy effort in attempt to win rainbow jersey in all cycling disciplines possible. And until now, it really seemed to be a somewhat distant dream of Van der Poel's. But the World Cup round in Les Gets changes everything.
Outstanding comeback
Taking place just a week before 2026 World Championships, one could not think of a better testing platform for rainbow jersey contenders. And among them was present one man who already has 10 of them in his collection, but none comes from mountain bike... At least for now.
Van der Poel launched himself into a good position for Sunday's cross-country main event in Friday's short track where he finished 10th while riding from all the way back. On Sunday, his starting position was already much improved and Van der Poel immediately featured in battle for victory - only to bow down before Adrien Boichis in the finale.
"What an incredible performance. Lap after lap he stayed at the front, and in the final he finally accelerated. Adrien Boichis took over afterwards, and he was just a bit more skillful on the final descent. When you look ahead to the World Championships next week… Becoming world champion suddenly becomes a real possibility," estimates Thijs Zonneveld in his In de Waaier podcast.
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In the wider range of favourites
Not to waste any time, following his second place in Les Gets, Zonneveld immediately names Van der Poel as the race's top favorite, even though he will have to fight his back to the front again.
"He is still not one of the big favorites, but he is a favorite of the second tier. He hasn't done this for a few years. He was very good a few years ago, but the level has risen enormously, and the courses have become even tougher. That is the advantage of Pidcock, who makes the step from road to mountain bike easier."
Rapid improvement
Zonneveld further points out that Van der Poel still displayed technical imperfections during short track race, something he seemed to have learned from for the cross-country. An outstanding improvement according to the journalist.
"Although Boichis made the difference on the descent, it was minimal. If that is the learning curve in two days, then maybe it is possible next week after all. But next week will be different, because then he won't be on the second row of the grid and Pidcock will be competing as well."
There's not denying Van der Poel has a close bond to the discipline even though he doesn't excel in. That is, why succeeding this year might shape the rest of Van der Poel's career, according to Zonneveld:
"I think it's impressive that he keeps trying, because he keeps returning to a discipline where he struggles to win at all. That guy's got a hard head, you know."
"That he keeps challenging himself like this against guys who do it week in, week out. In 2028, I think he will ride a full mountain bike year. It is the moment for him to focus solely on mountain biking and ride the road only for work purposes because of the Olympic Games."
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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