Mathieu van der Poel shifts focus to mountain bike World Championships

Mathieu van der Poel is shifting his focus toward mountain biking as he prepares for the upcoming Mountain Bike World Championships in Val di Sole. Following his recent performances in road cycling, including a victory on the Champs-Élysées, the Alpecin-Premier Tech rider intends to dedicate his training to securing the world title.

Van der Poel's preparation includes participating in a World Cup event in Les Gets on August 23. Recent footage shared via social media highlights his technical proficiency on narrow, unstable off-road paths, underscoring the skill required for high-level mountain bike competition.

During his transition period, Van der Poel was seen meeting with Remco Evenepoel of Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe. Following his mountain bike campaign, he is expected to return to road racing for the road world championships in Montréal.