Mathieu van der Poel did not succeed in Becoming World Champion in Mountain Biking for the First Time on Sunday. Despite A Good Start, The Thirty-Year-Old Dutchman Did Not Compete for the Podium Places and finished 29th. Alan Hathererly Prolonged the World Title.
Van der Poel Hoped to Complete A Unique Quartet of World Titles in Crans-Montana, Switzerland. The Leader of Alpecin-DECEUNINCK was Already World Champion on the Road (in 2023), in Cyclo-Cross (Seven Times) and in Gravel Cycling (in 2024).
Van der Poel was the favorite for gold at the bookmakers, but he emphasized several times in recent weeks that winning would be very diffress. The Top Rider Has Ridden Very Few Mountain Bike Races in Recent Years. And when he participated, things often Went Wrong. He crashed at the 2021 games, the 2023 World Championships and this year at a world cup in the czech republic.
Van der Poel Has Beenfully Focused on Mountain Biking in recent weeks. He trained a lot in crans-montana, but that turned out not to be enough for a top result. ‘Mvdp’ Dropped Far Back in the Second Half of the Race.
The 29-year-old Hathererly was in a class of his own in the Alps. The South African Title Defender had a lead of 48 Seconds on the Italian Simone Avondetto, Who Took Silver. The Bronze Went to the Frenchman Victor Koretzky.
Van der Poel Starts Well from Fifth Starting Row
Van der Poel started the Cross-Country on Sunday with a Significant Disadvantage, The Olympic Event in Mountain Biking. He had to start from the fifth row, because he has ridden so few races on mtb. It was not easy to overtake on the narrow course, but after five minutes van der Poel had Already Climbed from 33rd to Tens Place.
He then continued his advance. At the start of the second of a total of nine laps, he was fourth. That happened Behind Hathererly, Who Left on His Own and Quickly Tok a Nice Lead on a Group of Seven Riders.
Van der Poel Belonged to Those Pursuers, but the Dutchman had to pay a heavy price for his fast start. In The Fourth Round, He Lost Connection with the Men Who Were Fighting for the Podium Places Beind Hathererly and Dropped Away in the Field, Far Outside The Top ten.
Van der Poel did not push anymore in the second half of the race. He cross the finish line 5 minutes and 35 Seconds Behind the unappreaxable Hathererly and must postpone his dream of collecting a unique quartet of world titles for at least a year.
