Mathieu van der Poel’s brother explains why MVDP loves mountain biking so much as he chases the world title in Switzerland
Van der Poel has struggled with mountain biking’s technical challenges. (Photo: THOMAS SAMSON/AFP via Getty Images)
Updated September 13, 2025 05:38AM
On Sunday, in the Swiss ski resort of Crans Montana, Mathieu van der Poel will attempt to become the first male rider to win the world title in four different disciplines. Having already captured no fewer than seven rainbow jerseys in cyclo-cross and also claimed world titles on the road (Glasgow 2023) and on gravel (Leuven 2024), the Dutchman will be aiming to add the world mountain bike championship to his collection.
In an interview with Sporza, his older brother and ex-pro David van der Poel has said that his younger sibling is hugely motivated by the possibility of victory in Switzerland, especially because he has a particular passion for mountain biking, a discipline that he keeps coming back to.
“Until we were 16, we combined different sports, but from the beginning our main focus was on cyclo-cross,” said David van der Poel. He went on to explain that Mathieu began to dabble in mountain biking, “mainly because he was initially looking for extra challenges alongside cyclo-cross.”
That search for a new challenge quickly developed into something more, according to the older of the Van der Poel brothers. “I do think that mountain biking is his favorite type of cycling, yes. If he could choose which bike to ride for fun, that bike would be at the top of the list,” he said.
David van der Poel went on to explain the particular attraction that mountain biking has for his brother. “It’s a bit more extreme than cyclo-cross and requires more technique. That appeals to him: the shorter, more intense efforts requiring technique, the beautiful nature and the stunning courses. It’s an attractive combination.”
David van der Poel went on to describe mountain biking as “the most underrated branch of cycling, both physically and technically”, and also highlighted why it’s so difficult a challenge for his multi-talented brother. “You have to put a lot of time and energy into it to master it completely. Controlling the bike takes a lot of time, and Mathieu hasn’t always had that time. That makes it more difficult to just take it on,” he said.
Of course, the biggest hurdle between Mathieu van der Poel and a concerted push for mountain bike titles, both at the World Championships and at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, has been his commitment to road racing, partly as a result of the demands of his team and its sponsors, who “gain more visibility on the road”.
“With his status, he couldn’t and can’t focus solely on mountain biking,” said David van der Poel. “He now has a different status on the road, but he used to find road cycling a bit boring and needed that variety,” he continued. He also explained that his brother’s Alpecin-Deceuninck team have accommodated his passion for mountain biking because they know that they’ll get a happier racer on the road. “That’s one of the reasons why he’ll probably ride with the same team for his entire career.”
In a pre-Worlds interview on Alpecin-Deceuninck’s Instagram page, Mathieu van der Poel explained that he’d been preparing for the race at Crans Montana by riding on his MTB and gravel bikes at home. “I came here to do the last specific work and also do the course recon a lot of times,” he said. “I feel pretty good on the course now, so let’s hope that’s enough to be with the best on Sunday.”