Van der Poel disappears after Roubaix; is he preparing for MTB?

Mathieu Van der Poel has completed a solid spring in results but lacking in sensations. He has won, been at the front, and has once again made a difference in races, but without finishing strong on the big stages. And suddenly, his calendar has come to a halt. No Ardennes, no continuity, no clear upcoming objectives. An unusual void that, more than a pause, is starting to seem like a decision.

Van der Poel ends spring with no more dates on the horizon

After Roubaix, competitive silence. No more classics, no immediate adjustments to his calendar. Just rest, golf, and an open question until the Tour. A scenario that, in other years, could be interpreted as a logical transition, but fits too well with an idea that Van der Poel himself has repeated on more than one occasion: he wants to win the Mountain Bike World Championship.

His spring 2026 has been short in terms of competition days but intense in results. Victory in the Omloop, prominence in Tirreno-Adriatico, and a new exhibition in the E3 Saxo Classic. However, in the Monuments, there has been a different feeling. He has competed at the highest level, but without that need to dominate the palmarès that other rivals show.

This nuance makes the difference. Unlike Tadej Pogacar, Van der Poel does not seem to structure his career around completing the five Monuments. But that doesn't mean he doesn't have an obsession. It's simply a different one.

RECOMENDADO

A 2021 Canyon with a dropper post—what’s the story behind Shimano’s blue bikes?

30-minute roller sessions to improve

The radial technology from Specialized breaks the classic balance of the MTB tire

Specialized Ambush 3, the evolution of the trail helmet goes inside and not outside

Electronics and high performance in the new Fox Float X2 Live Valve Neo

"The hardest climb in the world": Hannah Otto faces Mauna Kea in Infinite Pursuit

At the end of 2025, he explained it clearly: “I will not leave mountain biking until I win a World Championship, although it is very likely that I will never achieve it. It's something similar to what Tadej Pogacar has with Flanders or Roubaix: it's a challenge.” 

A calendar that fits too well with XCO

Van der Poel has already tried to be Olympic and World Champion in XCO. He hasn't succeeded, but he has always shown a special motivation towards that discipline. Now the context is different.

The gap left by his calendar after spring opens a very specific window. Between April and the Tour de France, there is enough room to introduce specific mountain bike preparation without breaking his road planning. And not only that. It would also allow for competition.

That's where the dates make sense. The XCO World Cup offers three perfectly fitting stops in that block: Nove Mesto from May 2 to 24, Leogang from June 11 to 14, and Lenzerheide from June 19 to 21. Three venues where he could measure his real level before summer.

After the Tour, scheduled from July 4 to 26, the calendar continues to align. The XCO World Championship in Val di Sole, from August 25 to 30, appears as a clear objective if he decides to take that step.

There is no official confirmation. No announced calendar. But the pieces fit together.

Van der Poel no longer needs to prove anything on the road. He has won, dominated, and marked an era in the classics. But mountain biking remains an outstanding issue. Not just another one, but probably the only one that truly bothers him.