A detailed look at Mathieu van der Poel’s new 2027 Canyon Lux World Cup CFR for Les Gets

Mathieu van der Poel has returned to the XCO World Cup and has done so with a new bike. The Dutchman is competing in Les Gets with the new Canyon Lux World Cup CFR 2027, a completely revamped generation that has been accumulating results at the highest level for months, but which we had not yet seen in competition under one of Canyon's most important cyclists.

The spectacular Canyon Lux World Cup 2027 that Van der Poel debuts in Les Gets

The new Canyon Lux World Cup CFR 2027 was officially presented last April, although by then it was already well-known within the circuits. Canyon had started its development in competition much earlier, and several of its official riders had raced with prototypes of this new platform.

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Since then, cyclists like Jenny Rissveds, Luca Schwarzbauer, and Adrien Boichis have already demonstrated the potential of the new Lux with podiums and victories. Now it's Mathieu van der Poel's turn.

The Dutchman returns to the XCO World Cup in Les Gets after almost a year away from mountain bike competition. His last race in this modality was in September 2025, and therefore he had not had the opportunity to compete with the new generation of the Lux until now.

And this is not just a simple update of the bike he used last season.

A Lux quite different from the one Van der Poel left a year ago

Canyon has taken the Lux World Cup towards modern XCO, where the circuits are becoming faster and more technical. The CFR frame now weighs 1,480 grams, 55 grams less than its predecessor, but the most important changes are in the geometry and suspensions.

The head angle is now 66°, the reach is increased, and the wheelbase grows by about 40 mm. All of this aims to provide more stability as speed increases and greater confidence on technical descents.

Travel has also increased. The new platform uses 120 mm in the front and 110 mm in the rear, compared to the 100 mm in the rear that the previous Lux of Van der Poel had. The kinematics have been revised to achieve a more active suspension around the SAG and improve traction, maintaining increasing progression as the travel is consumed.

Another major innovation is the Anti-Squat Flip Chip, a system that allows modifying the level of anti-squat and adapting the behavior of the suspension to the gear used, the cyclist's preferences, or the characteristics of the circuit.

On paper, it is a more capable and stable Lux, but precisely those changes make it particularly interesting to see how Van der Poel adapts.

Van der Poel does not easily change equipment

We still do not know Mathieu van der Poel's opinion on this new Lux or how long he has been specifically training with it, but his history makes it clear that he tends to be quite conservative when he finds a setup he feels comfortable with.

A good example can be found precisely in mountain biking. Van der Poel was one of the last great specialists to adopt the dropper post, and for a long time he preferred to compete with a rigid post to save weight. Even when he returned to the World Cup in 2025, the use of a dropper post was still something exceptional in his MTB career.

On the road, something similar happens with his choice of bike. It is very difficult to see him compete with a model different from the Canyon Aeroad CFR, the most aerodynamic bike from the German brand, even in demanding and particular events like Paris-Roubaix.

That is why the switch to a Lux with longer and slacker geometry, as well as more suspension travel, has likely required an adaptation period. Les Gets is the first opportunity to see how this combination works when Van der Poel competes against the best XCO specialists again.

Shimano XTR Di2 and new XTR wheels for his Lux

The differences from the bike he competed with a year ago do not end with the frame. His setup also features significant new elements, the most obvious being Shimano.

Van der Poel moves from the previous mechanical XTR transmission to the new Shimano XTR Di2 electronic, maintaining long 175 mm cranks and a 10-51 cassette. He also equips the new Shimano XTR brakes, with a 180 mm front disc and a 160 mm rear disc.

Another important addition is the new Shimano XTR M9200 wheels, although the truth is that Van der Poel already used them in 2025 even before they hit the market.

In the suspensions, we find a FOX 34 SL fork with 120 mm, while at the rear, it mounts a FOX shock with the 110 mm of travel that the new frame offers.

However, there are elements that remain practically unchanged and show how clear Van der Poel is about his position on the bike. He maintains the integrated Canyon CP0036 setup, with a 740 mm wide handlebar combined with a very long 115 mm and -22° stem, a configuration very characteristic of the Dutchman.

He also continues to use the lightweight dropper post DT Swiss D 232 One, ESI Grips Chunky grips, Shimano XTR pedals, and his custom Selle Italia Flite Boost MVDP Edition saddle.

Setup of Mathieu van der Poel's Canyon Lux World Cup CFR 2027

• Frame: Canyon Lux World Cup CFR 2027
• Fork: FOX 34 SL, 120 mm
• Shock: FOX Float DPS, 110 mm
• Transmission: Shimano XTR Di2
• Cranks: Shimano XTR, 175 mm
• Cassette: Shimano XTR, 10-51
• Brakes: Shimano XTR
• Discs: 180 mm front and 160 mm rear
• Wheels: Shimano XTR M9200
• Handlebar and stem: Canyon CP0036, 740 mm wide and 115 mm stem with -22°
• Grips: ESI Grips Chunky
• Dropper post: DT Swiss D 232 One
• Saddle: Selle Italia Flite Boost MVDP Edition
• Pedals: Shimano XTR
• Tires: Pirelli Scorpion XC RC

The Les Gets World Cup will be the first competitive test for a completely new combination: Mathieu van der Poel and the latest generation of the Canyon Lux World Cup CFR.