Alpecin-Deceuninck has revealed the upcoming mountain bike race plans for Mathieu van der Poel, Puck Pieterse, and Sam Gaze via social media. Van der Poel is set to compete only at the event in Nové Město, Czech Republic, this May, as his schedule also includes preparations for the Tour de France during the summer.
Although organizers in Heubach, Germany, initially announced Van der Poel’s participation on May 18, that was premature. The official schedule shared by Alpecin-Deceuninck confirms he will only race in Nové Město.
Pieterse and Gaze, however, will race in Heubach this Sunday and have planned a shorter, more focused summer season. Their races include stops in Leogang, Austria (June 8), Val di Sole (June 22), and Andorra (July 13). By mid-July, Van der Poel will be fully engaged in Tour de France preparations, the team noted.
Currently training in Spain, Van der Poel will return to mountain biking after the Tour, targeting the World Championships in Crans Montana, Switzerland, as his main objective for the latter half of the season. Alpecin-Deceuninck will release more details on his race schedule leading up to the World Championships later on.
Van der Poel last competed in a mountain bike race in 2023 at the World Championships in Glentress Forest, shortly after winning the road race in Glasgow. Unfortunately, he crashed in the first corner and did not finish. Ahead of the 2025 season, he announced plans to return to mountain biking after a year’s break.
Mountain Bike Race Calendar – May to July 2025:
- Mathieu van der Poel: Nové Město only (May)
- Puck Pieterse & Sam Gaze: Heubach (May 18), Leogang (June 8), Val di Sole (June 22), Andorra (July 13)
