The organisers of
Bike the Rock, a mountain bike race
in Germany, have announced van der Poel’s return to mountain biking, describing
his appearance as a “long-awaited comeback”. While
Alpecin-Deceuninck has not
officially confirmed his participation, anticipation is already building for
his potential involvement, and this news is in line with the rumours of recent
weeks.
The race, scheduled for May 18, is not part of the UCI
Mountain Bike World Cup but does feature on the MTB Bundesliga calendar in
Germany. The event is expected to attract a strong field, especially with van
der Poel’s name in the mix.
Now 30, van der Poel holds the cyclocross and gravel world
titles and has previously worn the rainbow jersey on the road. He has openly
admitted that the mountain bike world title is the one major prize missing from
his glittering palmarès, an omission he is determined to rectify.
Van der Poel has not raced in mountain biking since 2023 and
has opted not to defend his road world title this year. Instead, following the
Tour de France, he plans to build toward the Mountain Bike World Championships
in Switzerland this September.