"The start was a dream scenario..." - Mathieu van der Poel fails but vows to continue chasing MTB rainbow jersey
Mountain Bike
Mathieu van der Poel is the reigning champion in cyclocross and gravel, and in 2023 he was crowned world champion on the road for the first time. One of the last remaining goals in the 30-year old's career is to conquer the rainbow jersey in Mountain Biking, but that will have to wait another year.
The chances were never going to be high that the Dutchman was going to be able to conquer it today, but they were not null. He returned to the discipline in May for the Nové Mesto World Cup but crashed out and suffered a wrist fracture, yet another setback on the mountain bike, which has riddled him for the past few years.
However in Les Gets only a few weeks ago, a similar race also taking place in the Alps, van der Poel rode to sixth, only 28 seconds behind Alan Hatherly who would go on to conquer the world title this Sunday.
And van der Poel had the same dream, starting it off very strongly and into the leading positions, but beginning to struggle quite a lot from the third lap of nine. "I wasn't having a good day. I haven't been feeling well for a while," van der Poel said after the race in words to NOS.
"The start was a dream scenario, but after that, it was a long race mentally. But mountain biking is the only discipline where it's still fun to ride around." Van der Poel couldn't handle the pace of those in front and eventually began losing minutes, eventually crossing the line in Crans-Montana in 29th place.
It's a position far from the front, but his first laps and race in Les Gets showcase that the Dutchman does have the power to fight for the world title in one of the years to come, and he confirms that he will continue trying. "My legs were really bad, but I still tried to enjoy it a bit. I still have a few years to go, we'll keep trying."
Mathieu van der Poel during the 2025 UCI World Mountain Bike championships. @Imago
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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