"I just had one of those days” – Alan Hatherly reacts to statement mountain bike world championship victory
Mountain Bike
Alan Hatherly produced the ride of his life to claim the
2025 Mountain Bike World Championships in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, defending
the rainbow jersey he won last year. The South African stamped his authority on
the race from the opening laps and never looked back, riding alone at the front
for nearly the entire distance. His dominance came as Mathieu van der Poel
endured a rare off day, fading badly to finish outside the top 25.
Afterwards, Hatherly summed up the scale of his achievement.
"I just had one of those days. It'll be hard for me to repeat a
performance like that. All the starts aligned," he said. From the very
beginning, it was clear this was his race to win.
The opening lap saw Victor Koretzky test the field with
early pressure, while van der Poel worked his way forward in the thin air of
the high-altitude circuit. The Dutchman reached the front of the race, but by
lap three his challenge was unravelling. He lost contact with the leading
groups and never recovered. What was billed as another clash between van der
Poel and the world’s best mountain bikers quickly turned into a one-man show.
Hatherly’s decisive move came at the start of lap two. He
launched a powerful attack and built a gap of 1:30 minutes, a margin that no
rival could touch. From there, it was a race against the clock, with the South
African riding in his own world at the head of the field.
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“Before the race I said it was going to be a time trial and
a less tactical race and I guess I did that from the beginning, taking it
straight on and just TT-ing it all way through. With two or three laps to go I
started to feel the effort of going so early but the gap was so big I could
just consolidate and see it through."
While Hatherly celebrated, van der Poel faced the
disappointment of a missed opportunity. "I wasn't having a good day. I
haven't been feeling well for a while," he admitted after finishing far
from the front. Even in defeat, he tried to put things in perspective. "My
legs were really bad, but I still tried to enjoy it a bit. I still have a few
years to go, we'll keep trying."
The Dutchman’s reflections captured both his frustration and
his enduring passion for the discipline. "The start was a dream scenario,
but after that, it was a long race mentally. But mountain biking is the only
discipline where it's still fun to ride around."
Fin MajorCycling Journalist
Fin Major is a UK-based writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2024. He is the site’s main writer for FAQs and evergreen explainers and has written around 2,000 pieces for the platform. Alongside this work, he focuses on in-depth analysis and covers the biggest races on the calendar, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, providing clear context around performance trends, tactics, and key storylines.
In his reporting, Fin uses reputable data sources such as 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. Outside of writing, Fin is an active cyclist, which supports his practical understanding of the sport and its demands.
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Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026 - He is boring
leedorney08-11-2026 - To Twoje przemyślenia te bla, bla :)
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