TakeWorldslast week
Van der Poel's admission that he'll "probably need a season where I spend more time on the mountain bike" isn't aspirational planning—it's a concession that the Tour de France and an MTB world title are no longer compatible goals. Second at Les Gets with his best form in years, then 30th at Val di Sole: the same collapse as 2025, and now he's naming the cause instead of shrugging at it.
This is the second straight year the pattern has repeated exactly: strong at Les Gets a week out, then gone at Worlds. In 2025 it was 6th at Nové Město into 30th at Crans Montana; in 2026, second at Les Gets into 30th at Val di Sole, 4:40 behind. Van der Poel's own explanation—"a good feeling in Les Gets, but bad at the Worlds"—used to read as bad luck. His pre-Worlds statement about needing a dedicated MTB season reframes it as a resourcing problem the Tour de France creates and MTB prep can't overcome within one calendar.
Sources
'I just wasn't good enough' – Mathieu van der Poel rues another year where promising mountain bike form fades for World Championships'I'll probably need a season where I spend more time on the mountain bike' - Mathieu van der Poel realistic ahead of the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships"It's the same story as last year... I don't have an explanation" - Mathieu van der Poel baffled as another MTB Worlds disappointment dashes Rainbow Jersey dream