Last month, anticipation grew over Mathieu van der Poel’s return to mountain biking, with reports suggesting he would compete at Germany’s Bike the Rock event on May 18. However, those reports now appear to have been premature.
Despite earlier claims, Van der Poel won’t be racing at Bike the Rock, which is part of Germany’s MTB Bundesliga series. Instead, he’s now expected to make his return to mountain biking the following weekend at the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup in Nové Město, Czech Republic.
This change is likely a letdown for Bike the Rock organizers, who may have confirmed his participation too soon. While the event is respected, its non-World Cup status may have contributed to Van der Poel’s decision to skip it.
In contrast, Nové Město is a venue with a strong history for Van der Poel. He won there in 2019 and narrowly missed victory in 2021, finishing behind Tom Pidcock. He also has two short track wins and another podium finish there. However, he won’t be eligible for the short track race this year, as it’s limited to the top 40 in the UCI mountain bike rankings—a list he’s currently not on due to limited recent participation.
Still, his appearance in the Nové Město XCO race represents an important step in his quest to complete a full set of world titles.
At 30, Van der Poel just wrapped up another dominant spring season in road and cyclocross. He secured a record-tying seventh cyclocross world title and claimed his third consecutive Paris-Roubaix win. He also triumphed at the E3 Saxo Classic and Milano–Sanremo.
Though he’s already a world champion in cyclocross, gravel, and road racing, Van der Poel has openly acknowledged the mountain bike world title as the missing piece in his career—and one he’s eager to pursue. For him, winning that jersey takes precedence over earning more Tour de France stage wins.
Although he hasn’t competed in mountain biking since 2023, his long-term plan is clear. After the 2025 Tour de France, Van der Poel intends to shift his full focus to mountain biking, aiming squarely at the world championship title.
