Mathieu van der Poel is one of the most talented riders to get on a bike in current days, and although that comes with tremendous benefits, it also brings in difficult choices. The 2024 Paris Olympics may be one of them, as it is believed that he will once again try to take the Olympic title in XCO.
His dad, Adrie van der Poel has told Wielerflits of the basic plan for the coming years. “Combining the three disciplines has resulted in a busy program in recent years. Not in terms of race days, but in terms of preparation. In a more limited training period, he had to make the transition from one discipline to another, which nevertheless required the necessary adjustments," he said.
The challenge of adjusting to different disciplines and manage to have perfect preparation for all is close to impossible, so there will be a choice to make into the 2024 Olympics. “The switch from road to cross bike is easy to do, but on a mountain bike you have a different attitude. That combination is quite difficult. Also because you always have to fight for your starting position for the most important mountain bike races," he added.
After crashing out of the Olympic Mountain Bike race back in 2021, the Dutchman has not yet returned to the MTB. He is also not planned to do so this year as he puts his full ambitions on the road, and over the winter should have another stint in cyclocross.
"...I think the Olympics are still running through Mathieu's mind, but I don't hear about it right now. Let alone that he thinks about an approach towards Paris. Still, I don't rule out the possibility that he wants to go for this again," he admits. No matter what happens there are still around two years left for the event, so plenty of time to choose what the best option will be.
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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- for what?frieders311-11-2026
- Blah blah blah!frieders311-11-2026
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- I had no idea about that either.
santiagobenites10-11-2026 - great analysis thanks! appreciate you posting this. I didn't realize CX had a different standard for deviation. this is even more egregious it seems.mij10-11-2026
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- Very true.awp10-11-2026
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