"I do think he can be in the top nine without preparation, yes" - Dutch national coach optimistic on Mathieu van der Poel's chances of success at MTB World Championships

Mathieu van der Poel has the goal of making into the MTB Olympic event in the 2024 Paris Olympics and a great part of that decision comes from his results this year. He's racing the World Championships in the discipline right after the road, and is hopeful of helping the Netherlands with much needed points.

"It would be best if we could get a starting place through the normal way, by finishing among the best nineteen countries in the Olympic qualifying ranking. That is a stable ranking and if you are in the right position, there is a very good chance that you will make it," Dutch national coach Gerben de Knegt told In de Leiderstrui. "Only the best three riders in the UCI ranking count for this and at the moment these are David Nordemann and two UCI riders. The initial plan was that Mathieu would compete in some World Cup races this year, but after a lot of hassle with his program it turned out that that was not a realistic option."

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Van der Poel has prioritized his preparation towards the Tour de France this summer, for the first time not taking up MTB World Cups or the Giro d'Italia in May. It is a plan he hopes to bring success throughout July, but right after come goals which are perhaps even more important. He will race the MTB Worlds, but he will not do any specific preparation towards them he has admitted.

"I do think he can be in the top nine without preparation, yes. He himself understands very well what is going on. He has no points, so he will start further back at the World Championships. But if Nordemann can ride from seventy to twenty in a World Championship, then a Mathieu in good shape should certainly be able to do that too. And better than that too."

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The team coach admits that if the plan does not succeed van der Poel could end up racing MTB more later this year to be able to net the necessary points, but he acknowledges that for a rider this talented it is difficult to combine goals over three disciplines and target all at his best.

"I think Mathieu is also a bit disappointed, but you can't split yourself in two. Just because Pidcock does that now, doesn't mean that Mathieu should and can do it successfully. It's all very difficult and then you have to make choices," he goes on to conclude. "And suppose Mathieu has bad luck at the World Cup and does not get a good result, then there will also be two World Cup races in September and October, in the US and Canada. He could still contribute there."

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Route Analysis | Profiles & Route Tour de France 2023

Final startlist Tour de France with BIB | Vingegaard, Pogacar, Cavendish, Van der Poel, Van Aert, Alaphilippe, Bernal, Pidcock, Sagan and Girmay