“If Van der Poel wants to be part of the action in LA, then he needs to make a decision” - Expert urges full commitment to Olympic & Rainbow Jersey MTB goals

As Mathieu van der Poel returns to racing at the Renewi Tour following his early exit from the Tour de France, the broader arc of his season — and his long-term ambitions — has come under scrutiny. Former professional rider and cycling analyst Roxane Knetemann believes it’s time for the Alpecin–Deceuninck leader to get serious about his Olympic mountain bike campaign, or risk falling behind.

Van der Poel has so far competed in just one mountain bike race this year. Despite his stated ambition of chasing gold at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, he is only expected to line up for a second MTB event shortly before the World Championships in Crans-Montana later this season.

Knetemann, speaking on the In Het Wiel podcast, argues that this approach isn't enough — not against the world's best specialists. “If he wants to be part of the action in LA, then he needs to make a decision,” she said. “You can’t just turn up at a few races and expect to dominate. It’s about more than talent. At some point, you have to commit.”

For years, Van der Poel has dazzled across disciplines, winning Monuments, World Championships, and cyclocross titles while dipping into mountain biking on occasion. But Knetemann insists that winning the Rainbow Jersey or Olympic gold off-road demands more than occasional brilliance — it requires structure, consistency, and proper preparation.

“He won’t have a decent start position at the 2025 Worlds because he hasn’t raced enough,” Knetemann pointed out. “And that’s not just a logistical issue — it’s a performance one. You get better by racing, by learning the rhythms and demands of MTB specifically. Right now, he’s not doing enough of that.”

Despite Van der Poel’s reputation as a rider who can bend disciplines to his will, mountain biking at the very highest level is a different beast though, as Knetemann notes. “We think of him as a phenomenon on two wheels — and he is,” Knetemann acknowledged. “But he’ll be up against the very best mountain bikers in the world. These are not pushovers. If he wants to beat them, he has to start investing in it properly.”

Knetemann points to Olympic champion Tom Pidcock as a model of how to manage a dual-discipline career. The Briton regularly balances road and MTB but does so with clear planning and deliberate focus. “Pidcock has a totally different background in mountain biking, and he still has to make tough decisions about what to prioritise. He built his MTB foundation years ago. Mathieu hasn’t done that to the same extent — so the need for clarity is even greater.”

If Olympic gold and the Rainbow Jersey are truly the objectives — as both rider and team have publicly stated — then, as Knetemann warns, the time for half-measures is over. “You have to make a choice,” she said. “Not just to get a better start position. But to genuinely become better. That’s the only way he’ll be competitive in LA.”