Mathieu van der Poel’s Positioning on the Grid Sparks Debate Ahead of Cross-Country Mountain Bike Event
While Mathieu van der Poel will be the attraction of the cross-country mountain bike event of the world championships, his positioning on the grid is debated.
He will be there. Crowned world champion on the road last Sunday, Mathieu van der Poel gave up the short-track mountain bike event, won this Thursday by his New Zealand teammate Samuel Gaze (Alpecin), but the Dutchman will be at the start on Saturday of the cross-country mountain biking event.
Van der Poel says he has no goal of result, but all eyes will still be on him. Before the race, a small debate would agitate the middle of the VTT, concerning its positioning on the starting grid.
“After some pressure from the big names of the UCI and the media, Van der Poel will start in the 5th row of the mountain bike event. We bend the rules for the stars. But it gives him a much better chance of getting on the podium. They wanted him to start in the front row but the others weren’t happy,” explains Hendrik Lemmer, a cycling follower present in Glasgow.
After some pressure from big boys at the UCI and media van der Poel are starting in the 5th row in the xco. Bending rules for stars. But this gives him a far better shot at the podium. They wanted him to start front row but the rest wasn’t happy #GlasgowScotland2023 https://t.co/7mG4e4zaoi
— Hendrik Lemmer (@GrootLem) August 10, 2023
On a course where it is difficult to overtake, Van der Poel would have had a hard time hoping for something if he had started at the very back of the grid. However, another Internet user replied to Hendrik Lemmer that Van der Poel’s position could well be legitimate, even if he has not competed in any MTB World Cup event this season (it is this classification which serves as a based on placement for world championships).
The 33rd to 40th place, that of the fifth row, would therefore be reserved for riders present in the Top 10 of the UCI classification of other disciplines. It is a regulation which promotes bridges between the different sports, and which could benefit Van der Poel, sixth in the UCI road classification at the moment.
The UCI regs seem to have an allowance for this, which I think is smart. Or am I reading point B3 below incorrectly? He’d qualify even just for his cyclocross ranking, by this standard? pic.twitter.com/qCSFyE85aj
— Ross Tucker (@Scienceofsport) August 10, 2023