Mathieu van der Poel experienced a poor return to mountain biking at the World Cup in Nové Mesto, Czech Republic, on Sunday. The Dutchman crashed twice in the opening phase and gave up after thirty minutes.
The thirty-year-old Van der Poel, who started on the fifth row, crashed for the first time when he wanted to quickly move towards the front after the start. He was hindered by another rider in the process.
A little later, Van der Poel flipped over after a jump. The Alpecin-Deceuninck rider apparently fell hard, but still got back on his mountain bike. In the third round, he decided to get off anyway. It is not known if he was injured.
Van der Poel rode his first mountain bike race on Sunday since the test event for the Paris Olympic Games in the fall of 2023. He took some rest after the spring classics on the road and only completed two training sessions on his mountain bike before the race in the Czech Republic.
“I am not in top shape and will only really prepare for the Mountain Bike World Championships after the Tour de France,” Van der Poel said before the start. In preparation for the Tour, the rider will participate in the Critérium du Dauphiné. He has designated the Mountain Bike World Championships in September as his main goal in the fall.
Van der Poel’s dramatically run race in Nové Mesto is another blow for the all-rounder in mountain biking. He previously crashed at the Tokyo Olympic Games (2021) and the World Championships in Glasgow (2023).
Puck Pieterse finished thirteenth after a flat tire.
Puck Pieterse was unable to compete for the win in the women’s race in the Czech Republic on Sunday. The reigning world champion was in the lead in the third of seven laps when she had a flat tire just before a steep climb. The Amersfoort native eventually finished thirteenth.