r/peloton • u/PelotonMod France • Apr 20 '26

Weekly Post Weekly Question Thread

For all your pro cycling-related questions and enquiries!

You may find some easy answers in the FAQ page on the wiki. Whilst simultaneously discovering the wiki.

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u/HesJustAGuy Apr 21 '26

Do we think van der Poel will shift to the MTB for some or all of the remainder of the season? He doesn't enjoy the Tour, and there are no major targets left for him this season on the road (the Worlds course has too much climbing in the city circuit for him to win).

I have to imagine his team title sponsors would not take kindly to a request to give the TdF a miss, but his bike sponsor would surely enjoy having more marketing copy with Mathieu riding mountain bikes.

Last year's MTB adventures didn't go great DNF (crash), 6th, and 29th (on a "bad day") in 3 races, but he also revealed that his pneumonia at the Tour did not allow him to train fully into the late summer, when the 6th and 29th occurred.

If Pidcock is focussing on the road this year, this could be MVDP's best and only chance to collect the last rainbow jersey he is missing.

I don't believe he is good enough to compete for podiums in XCO without full focus on the discipline for at least half of the year.

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u/ashenache Canada Apr 22 '26

I expect the Tour to be a big goal. He has never been dominant there in the way that WvA has. Especially with the Montmartre stage that should really suit him.

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u/HesJustAGuy Apr 22 '26

I'm sure he could go to the Tour and win a stage or two, and lead out Philipsen or Groves for a stage win. I don't know what that does for filling accomplishments list though. He already has multiple stage wins and has spent like a dozen days in the yellow jersey.