Van der Poel confirms he will start 2026 Tour de France

Mathieu van der Poel has been based in Spain since his fourth place at Paris-Roubaix, stepping back from racing and preparing quietly for the rest of his season. But what does that season still hold? Speaking to Spanish outlet AS, he looked back on his spring and gave the first clear picture of what comes next.

Four wins — two stages at Tirreno-Adriatico, the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and the E3 Saxo Classic — means Van der Poel has already crossed the line first plenty of times this spring. A Monument, though, proved one step too far. He is not losing sleep over it. “I can be satisfied. I hit the level I wanted. Of course I would have loved to win a Monument, but it would be unrealistic to think I win one every year.”

Surprisingly, the Alpecin-Premier Tech leader actually felt better this spring than in 2025, when he won two Monuments. “What years in sport have taught me is what you can and cannot control. That’s why I try to work as hard as possible — you can’t influence how others perform.” At Paris-Roubaix, Van der Poel may well have been the strongest man in the race, but bad luck intervened.

Continue reading below the photo!

Van der Poel looks back positively on Roubaix despite the bad luck

“That’s typical Roubaix — you need a bit of luck.” Even so, he looks back on the cobbled Classic with satisfaction despite finishing fourth. “My performance there motivates me, even though I didn’t win.” Eternal rival Wout van Aert took the victory, but Van der Poel was equally impressed by runner-up Tadej Pogačar.

“What he does is incredible. He finishes on the podium at every Monument every year — that is spectacular.” Since Paris-Roubaix, Van der Poel had stayed silent on his plans for the rest of the season. That is now beginning to change.

Continue reading below the photo!

Tour de France confirmed — but mountain biking is the bigger goal

Van der Poel will ride the Tour de France — that much is certain. What he rides beforehand is still taking shape. “We don’t know exactly what I’ll race yet, but it’s likely there will be some mountain bike events in between.” The Dutch all-rounder will therefore return to the dirt. “But the Tour is the central focus in the coming weeks,” he clarified.

Those mountain bike races are not casual appearances. Van der Poel has set the MTB World Championships in Val di Sole as a major goal. “I’d love to add that to my palmares, because no one has ever won in all four disciplines — road, cyclocross, gravel and mountain bike. That would be a historic achievement.”

Continue reading below the photo!

‘I hope to be seen as part of a generation that changed cycling’

The Vuelta a España is also still high on the 2023 world champion’s list. “It’s something I will definitely do before I stop racing.” That retirement does not appear imminent for the 31-year-old. “I enjoy cycling more than before. I love it!” he said with characteristic enthusiasm.

“I also feel less pressure than I used to. Everything that comes now is a bonus for me.” And when his career does eventually end, Van der Poel has a clear idea of how he would like to be remembered: “I hope to be seen as part of a generation that changed cycling — with the way races are ridden now, attacking from start to finish.”