Mathieu van der Poel to skip Mountain Bike World Cup action next month

Mathieu van der Poel will be absent from the start line at next month's Mountain Bike World Cup opener in Nové Město na Moravě, Czech Republic instead opting to rest up after a busy spring.

Following an incredibly busy start to 2023 for the 28-year-old that included a fifth Cyclocross World Championship title win and victories on the road at Milano-Sanremo and Paris-Roubaix, van der Poel has decided to have an extended break from action instead of returning to off-road action as had been planned prior to the start of the season.

This news will come as a blow to the Dutch national team and their coach Gerben de Knegt who had previously revealed his hope that van der Poel would be able to balance both the road and the mountain bike and aid in his country's hopes.

Speaking to Wielerflits, de Knegt confirmed van der Poel's choice to skip next month's World Cup opener and eluded to the fact the Dutchman may now be expected to return to mountain biking only following the Road Race World Championships in Glasgow, Scotland in August.