"It's a realistic option": Van der Poel could compete in MTB and road cycling in Los Angeles 2028

The publication of the Olympic program for Los Angeles 2028 has clarified the uncertainty about whether some multi-discipline cyclists could combine mountain bike and road events. The Dutch Federation has already stated that both Mathieu van der Poel and Puck Pieterse have that possibility.

Los Angeles 2028 opens the door for Van der Poel and Puck Pieterse to combine MTB and road

According to the official schedule of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, presented this week, the MTB (cross-country) event is set for Monday, July 17, and Tuesday, July 18, 2028 (men first, then women). As for the road events, the time trial is scheduled for Wednesday, July 19, 2028, and the road races for Saturday, July 22 (women) and Sunday, July 23 (men).

This schedule allows for a five-day gap between MTB and road, which opens up the option for a cyclist to compete in both events.

"With that margin, double participation is realistic for Puck and for Mathieu," explained Wilbert Broekhuizen, technical director of the Dutch federation.

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It is worth noting that at the Paris Olympics, Pieterse missed the Olympic podium due to a flat tire, while Van der Poel ultimately withdrew from participation after attending a Tour where he also did not shine.

Van der Poel himself has confirmed on more than one occasion that the MTB Olympics are one of his most important life goals, so we will see if he truly prioritizes this event leading up to Los Angeles 2028.

Although the next Olympics still seem far away, the selections from each country are already studying every detail, and in those same statements, the Dutch cycling federation anticipates that they have already located accommodation for their athletes to cope with the 11 hours of travel and the 9-hour time difference before entering the Olympic Village.

Broekhuizen hopes that the road event will remain in Venice Beach, a venue without significant elevation changes that would favor fast profiles like Van der Poel himself.

"If the course has a lot of mountains, riders like Tadej Poga?ar have an advantage. For us, a selective course would be better, but with a fast finish," he pointed out.

Will there be changes in the Tour calendar?

The alignment with the Tour de France remains unresolved and will be an important issue as we could find a race full of major absentees in search of Olympic gold. One possibility would be to move the start to June 23 or 24, finishing on July 16, leaving a week of margin until the Olympic road event.

The date for the women's Tour in 2028 is also not set, although in 2024 it was held just after the Olympic road event.