Van der Poel will race today’s Les Gets Short Track thanks to new UCI rules and will also compete in the XCC World Championships

Mathieu van der Poel is already in Les Gets to star in his return to the Mountain Bike World Cup this weekend and everything indicates that he will also be at the start of the Short Track today, Friday. A race that until last season he would not have been able to compete in due to his position in the UCI MTB ranking, but now he can access it thanks to the regulatory change introduced this year. Furthermore, the XCC will have double interest for the Dutchman as it can significantly improve his starting position for the XCO on Sunday and will serve as a first test before the XCC World Championship in Val di Sole.

Van der Poel will start in today's Short Track in Les Gets

Mathieu van der Poel's presence in Les Gets is already a reality and his return to the XCO is scheduled for Sunday. But before that, he could have a first contact with the Short Track taking place today, Friday.

Van der Poel is ready to compete in the XCC and can do so thanks to one of the most important innovations that the UCI introduced this season in the World Cup regulations.

RECOMENDADO

It is official: Mathieu van der Poel will race in the XCO World Cup in Les Gets

Silca enters the tire market with gravel, road, and 32" models

The 32" Cube prototype will race in the World Cup in Les Gets

Spotted the new electronic suspension from FOX for XCO: it debuts in Les Gets

Bjorn Riley joins Red Bull: this is how he received his new "crown"

New Trek District+: an urban eBike with a Bosch motor, equipped for daily use

Until 2025, access to the Short Track was determined by the XCO World Cup ranking and the UCI mountain bike ranking. A system that particularly penalized multidisciplinary cyclists like Van der Poel, who are capable of being among the best in the world in MTB but do not have enough races during the year to maintain a high position in the ranking.

For 2026, the UCI decided to modify these criteria. As we explained when the new regulations were announced, now riders ranked in the Top 10 of the UCI cyclocross ranking or in the Top 20 of the UCI road ranking can also access the Short Track.

Van der Poel meets those requirements, allowing him to be in the XCC today despite currently occupying the 246th position in the UCI mountain bike ranking.

If he didn't do the Short Track, he wouldn't start last in the XCO either

The top 24 finishers of the Short Track will earn a spot in the first three rows of the XCO starting grid, so a good result today would allow the Dutchman to start much closer to the front.

And even if he doesn't achieve that, the regulations also offer him a second advantage. His position in the road and cyclocross rankings would allow him to benefit from the criterion that reserves the fifth row for this type of riders, so in any case, he would avoid starting from the back of the grid on Sunday.

Van der Poel will compete in the XCC World Championship in Val di Sole

Today's Short Track also has another important component. Van der Poel is registered to compete in the XCC World Championship in Val di Sole on August 27.

Thus, Les Gets becomes a perfect test before fighting for the rainbow jersey in less than 7 days. The Dutchman will be able to assess his level in a particularly explosive discipline and do so against the best specialists in the World Cup just a few days before the Italian event.

This will also be his first mountain bike competition since the XCO World Championship in Crans-Montana in 2025, where he finished 29th. Since then, he has focused his competitive calendar on road and cyclocross.

Start Lists Short Track World Cup of Les Gets 2026

Start List XCC Elite Men

Start List XCC Elite Women