Mathieu van der Poel has not made a successful return on the mountain bike. In the opening phase of the World Cup competition in the Czech Nove Mesto Mesto, he went down twice and stepped off in the third round. His team Alpecin-DECEUNINCK reported on Instagram that he should be investigated at the Herentals hospital.
Van der Poel fell for the first time when he quickly wanted to drive to the head of the peloton after the start. Moments later he hit the head after a jump. He apparently fell hard but still stepped on his mountain bike again. It is not known whether he was injured.
On images you can see that he fell on a knee. Van der Poel also went down on his mountain bike at the Tokyo Olympic Games (2021) and the World Cup in Glasgow (2023).
Van der Poel rode his first mountain bike match since the test event for the Paris Olympic Games in the fall of 2023. Based on his position on the world ranking, he was not allowed to participate in the short race in Nove Mesto on Saturday.
The 30-year-old rider from Hoogerheide took a moment of rest after the spring classics on the road and only finished two training sessions on his mountain bike for the race in the Czech Republic. “I am not in top form and only will really prepare for the World Mountainbike World Championship after the Tour de France,” he said before the start. “But I am quite satisfied how things are going and I mainly want to enjoy.”
According to the Belgian TV channel Sporza, there may be a serious injury, the team contradicts that. Van der Poel would go to Hoogtestage with the team from Monday and will be released from 8 June in the Critérium du Dauphiné in preparation for the Tour de France.