"Becoming world champion suddenly becomes a real possibility" - Zonneveld backs Van der Poel for MTB rainbow jersey

Mathieu van der Poel's repeated attempts at mountain bike glory may be viewed as somewhat greedy, aiming to win the rainbow jersey across all cycling disciplines. Until now, his dream of winning the mountain bike jersey seemed distant. The World Cup round in Les Gets, held just a week before the 2026 World Championships, changed everything. Van der Poel’s outstanding comeback was evident. After finishing 10th in the short track race on Friday, his position improved significantly by Sunday. He immediately competed in the battle for victory, though he ultimately lost to Adrien Boichis in the finale. Thijs Zonneveld, in his In de Waaier podcast, praised Van der Poel’s performance, noting his relentless effort and improvement over two days. 'If that is the learning curve in two days, then maybe it is possible next week after all,' Zonneveld suggested, referring to the upcoming World Championships. Zonneveld also highlighted Van der Poel’s second-tier status as a favorite, despite his recent struggles. He mentioned that Van der Poel’s technical imperfections in the short track race were corrected in the cross-country event. Zonneveld pointed out that Van der Poel’s career trajectory could be significantly shaped by this year’s success, especially if he focuses solely on mountain biking from 2028 onwards, given the Olympic Games’ road cycling requirements. Ondřej Zhasil, a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate, covers professional cycling extensively, including major UCI competitions like the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. His focus includes startlist analysis, pre-race coverage, and junior cycling. Zhasil’s expertise spans East Asia and other disciplines like cyclocross, supported by a background in Mathematics and Physics. He emphasizes careful sourcing and editorial accuracy in his reporting.