Mathieu van der Poel Impresses at Les Gets Ahead of MTB World Championships

Mathieu van der Poel competed in his first Olympic cross-country mountain bike race in 51 weeks, finishing a close second at the UCI World Cup in Les Gets on Sunday.

During the race, Van der Poel was part of a leading group before being overtaken by Adrien Boichis in the final half-lap. This performance serves as a strong indication of his readiness for the upcoming MTB World Championships in Val di Sole.

Despite his impressive showing, Van der Poel cautioned against overinterpreting the result, noting that his starting position for the world championships will be critical. He will face tough competition, including two-time defending champion Alan Hatherly and Olympic champion Tom Pidcock.