{"id":140088,"date":"2025-09-16T01:20:09","date_gmt":"2025-09-16T01:20:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/140088\/"},"modified":"2025-09-16T01:20:09","modified_gmt":"2025-09-16T01:20:09","slug":"van-der-poel-flames-out-of-mtb-worlds-shuts-down-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/140088\/","title":{"rendered":"Van der Poel Flames Out of MTB Worlds, Shuts Down Season"},"content":{"rendered":"

Van der Poel cancels gravel world title defense and planned start at European champs after MTB title dream hits the dirt.<\/p>\n

\"Van<\/p>\n

(Photo: Tim de Waele\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Updated September 15, 2025 04:51AM<\/p>\n

Mathieu van der Poel<\/a> flamed out of his high-profile quest for the mountain bike world title<\/a>, and now he just wants to chill out.<\/p>\n

The Dutchman called it how it is after he fizzled to a lowly 29th-place finish in the Swiss cross-country worlds on Sunday.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe start was a dream scenario, but I just had a bad day,\u201d Van der Poel told NOS<\/a> after the race. \u201cI didn\u2019t feel like I blew up, but it wasn\u2019t a good day.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are no excuses.\u201d<\/p>\n

Van der Poel blasted from the middle of the grid to the front group before he faded, fast, on the technical Crans-Montana circuit.<\/p>\n

He rolled to the finish 5:35 back on a masterclass world title defense from South Africa\u2019s Alan Hatherly.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt the start, everything went pretty well, but I haven\u2019t been feeling great for a while,\u201d the disappointed Dutchman said Sunday. \u201cI can feel in training that I\u2019m less resilient.\u201d<\/p>\n

Speaking after the race, MVDP said he\u2019s done with bike racing after what\u2019s been a rollercoaster season.<\/p>\n

He fended off Tadej Poga\u010dar to pad his monument palmar\u00e8s at Milan-San Remo and Paris-Roubaix in the spring. A few months later, he won a stage and wore yellow for Alpecin-Deceuninck<\/a> at the Tour de France.<\/p>\n

But he later left Le Tour with pneumonia, and hasn\u2019t caught his level ever since<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe bike is going to be put aside for a while,\u201d he said. \u201cI need to rest.\u201d<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udeb5\ud83c\udf08 | Van der Poel kende een goede start, maar kan niet langer aanklampen. Hij geeft meer en meer terrein prijs. Medailles zijn te hoog gegrepen vandaag. \ud83d\udc4a\ud83d\udc4a #Valais2025<\/a><\/p>\n

\ud83d\udcfa Stream MTB op HBO Max pic.twitter.com\/rMiYWlP0X7<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Eurosport Nederland (@Eurosport_NL) September 14, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

Van der Poel still dreams: \u2018That rainbow jersey remains my ambition\u2019<\/p>\n

Van der Poel scrapped his planned participation at the European championships and confirmed Sunday he won\u2019t defend his gravel world title. The mountainous Kigali worlds on September 28 were already off the strapping superstar\u2019s agenda.<\/p>\n

Van der Poel told NOS he\u2019ll be back in December but didn\u2019t confirm his intentions for the cyclocross season.<\/p>\n

But fear not \u2013 mud is still very much in MVDP\u2019s future.<\/p>\n

The 30-year-old\u2019s dream to add the mountain bike rainbow jersey to his brimming collection of stripey jumpers keeps recurring.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat rainbow jersey remains my ambition,\u201d he told NOS. \u201cI still have a few years to go. We\u2019ll just keep trying.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was a tough weekend all round for Alpecin-Deceuninck\u2019s MTB division.<\/p>\n

Defending champion Puck Pieterse had to make do with 6th in the women\u2019s race, while Sam Gaze finished 12th in the men\u2019s.<\/p>\n