Mathieu van der Poel set for mountain biking return in May in Germany

Mathieu van der Poel has just concluded yet another spectacular spring campaign. The Dutch superstar secured his third consecutive victory at Paris-Roubaix, alongside wins at the E3 Saxo Classic and Milano-Sanremo. Before even hitting the road, he made history by claiming a record-equalling seventh cyclocross world title earlier in the year.

Yet, with the cobbles behind him and no road races scheduled until the Tour de France in July, van der Poel appears to be shifting his focus elsewhere.

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.