Following the Strade Bianche (August 1), Milan-Turin (August 5), Milan-Sanremo (August 8), the Tour of Piedmont (August 12) and the Tour of Lombardy (August 15).
Mathieu van der Poel starts the road season with five consecutive races in Italy. His team Alpecin-Fenix also received a wildcard from Milan-Turin (August 5), the Tour of Piedmont (August 12) and the Tour of Lombardy (August 15). Even more: the team of the Roodhooft brothers can also participate in the Tirreno-Adriatico (September 7-14). A boost for Van der Poel, who sees the Italian course between the two seas as the ideal preparation for the classics, starting with the Waalse Pijl on 30 September. The number of wild cards (without Alpecin-Fenix) was retained for the Giro.
No World Cup competitions in mountain biking
This means that the Dutch all-rounder will almost certainly not compete in mountain biking world cup races this season. The first heat in the Swiss Lenzerheide is on September 6, which is the day before the start of the Tirreno. In theory, Van der Poel can ride the moto in the French Les Gets (September 20), but that is probably not the case before the start of the Belgian classic season. He also does not participate in the World Cup (October 11 in the Austrian Leogang), because it coincides with the weekends of the Amstel Gold Race and Gent-Wevelgem.
Van der Poel would like to contest some mountain bike races in order to remain in the top forty in the UCI ranking and not have to start from the back rows next season. He hopes the UCI is considering retaining last year’s points. Soon the team will announce the entire program of their golden rooster.
Photo: Peter Malaise
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