Jumping away from the road and chasing that elusive UCI Mountain Bike World Championships with just one race for the season under the belt was never going to be an easy mission, but Mathieu van der Poel had delivered every reason to hope when he rocketed straight to the World Cup Cross-Country Olympic podium in Les Gets.
Just the week before the rainbow race the Dutch Alpecin-Premier Tech had moved seamlessly through the field and taken part in a two-way battle for the victory. It wasn't just the form that had taken him to first in the Tour de France on the Champs-Élysées that was clearly evident, but also a degree of comfort on the challenging terrain that boded well for the all important appointment at Val di Sole just a week away.
