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Mathieu van der Poel can be chasing Olympic gold this summer season in Paris, but it surely gained’t be in mountain biking.
The Alpecin-Deceuninck famous person confirmed Wednesday he won’t be racing off-road within the Paris Olympic Video games, and as a substitute will absolutely decide to the Olympic highway race in addition to return to the Tour de France.
“Essentially the most logical alternative. It ensures that I’ve just a little extra time and thus can put together longer and higher,” Van der Poel mentioned Wednesday.
Van der Poel already had a begin place for the Olympic mountain bike race, and was eager to make up for his pricey crash that knocked him out of the operating within the Tokyo Olympic Video games in 2021.
But as soon as he noticed a good highway race course in and round Paris, he made the decision that one of the best likelihood for fulfillment for an elusive Olympic gold medal can be focusing one hundred pc for the highway race.
“Which made for a tough puzzle to place collectively,” Van der Poel mentioned in a group assertion Wednesday. “Simply the highway race? Solely mountain biking? Or each? Whether or not or not together with the Tour de France, which I personally contemplate the very best preparation for the Video games.”
The choice comes after months of attempting to resolve how you can handle his coaching and focus in what’s been a extremely profitable season racing on the earth champion’s rainbow jersey.
Van der Poel lit up the spring classics, with big wins at E3 Saxo Traditional, Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix, a podium at Liège-Bastogne-Liège, in addition to top-10s at Milan-San Remo and Gent-Wevelgem.
Van der Poel already secured a spot on the Dutch mountain bike group, however took a thought of choice that his finest probabilities to win Olympic gold in Paris can be within the elite males’s highway race.
“Let’s say I selected essentially the most logical factor,” he mentioned. “My first half of the season was fairly lengthy. First the cyclocross season. After a brief break, I resumed coaching in operate of the spring season and I continued that marketing campaign as much as Liège-Bastogne-Liège. Now, if I wish to focus absolutely on mountain biking and be completely ready, I’ve to begin as early as subsequent weekend in Nove Mesto, the Czech manche of the MTB World Cup.
“So, in session with the group, I opted for a barely longer relaxation interval, after which I can construct as much as the Tour de France and the Olympic highway race with out time strain.
“The truth that I’m at the moment driving within the rainbow jersey has not directly performed a little bit of a job. It’s a particular yr. As world champion I wish to experience in that jersey as a lot as doable. So I additionally choose to not miss the Tour de France. And that proved to be a great preparation final yr, then in direction of the World Championships.”
MVDP hints at doable MTB focus in 2028 Los Angeles
Van der Poel is without doubt one of the most prolific, multi-disciplined riders of the trendy period. A six-time world champion in cyclocross, Van der Poel dreamed of turning into an Olympic champion in mountain biking.
He didn’t shut the door solely, and mentioned he may make one other push within the subsequent Olympic cycle.
“Who is aware of what’s nonetheless doable in 2028 in Los Angeles? That’s nonetheless a very long time away, however I’ll be in a special part of my profession then,” he mentioned. “Perhaps then I can put all the pieces on that mountain biking. This yr the mixture is simply too tough.”
Van der Poel was a high favourite for gold within the Tokyo Olympic Video games, contested in 2021 after a year-long delay attributable to COVID-19.
He crashed out, nonetheless, after misjudging a drop, and fell closely on a motorbike that resulted in an damage that plagued him throughout the 2022 racing season.
After a brief break, together with a trip in UAE, Van der Poel resumed coaching in Spain.
He gained’t race earlier than returning to the Tour, the place he’ll share co-leader duties with Jasper Philipsen.
“I go away per week later than the remainder of our Tour squad on altitude coaching to La Plagne. After that, I’ll work by way of some particular person coaching periods till the beginning of the Tour in Florence,” he mentioned. “Within the meantime we’ve got gained sufficient expertise to know that after in competitors, I rapidly discover my type.
“Within the Tour, I hope to help teammate Jasper Philipsen once more in his hunt for stage wins and a doable inexperienced jersey. And the objective is to win a stage myself this yr. Final yr I received sick when there have been just a few levels the place I had probabilities. Hopefully I can be spared from that on this version.”
Mathieu van der Poel will experience the Tour de France and the Highway Race on the Olympics in Paris 2024 this summer season. No MTB on the Olympics.
“And the mountain biking? Who is aware of what’s nonetheless doable in 2028 in Los Angeles? This yr the mixture is simply too tough.” pic.twitter.com/jsqiZZ9oeJ
— Cyclocross24.com (@cyclocross24) Could 15, 2024
