Van der Poel ends his season with immediate effect
Mathieu van der Poel has ended his season with immediate effect after a disappointing performance at the Mountain Bike World Championships in Crans-Montana, Switzerland.
"I wasn't having a good day," Van der Poel told NOS after his promising start disintegrated into a 29th-place finish. "It was a tough race mentally, but mountain biking is the only discipline where it's still fun to ride. So my legs were really bad, but I tried to enjoy it a little."
He had been expected to contest the European road champs in the Ardèche before then returning to the Gravel World Championships in South Limburg, but he will now take some time away from competition before an expected return to the cyclocross field this winter, where he will once again wear the rainbow bands of world champion.
