Mathieu van der Poel is back. And he did it in the way that suits him best: up front, fighting for victory until the final meters. At his seasonal debut in the mountain bike World Cup, the Alpecin-Premier Tech rider claimed second place at Les Gets, in France, only surrendering to local favorite Adrien Boichis after a hard-fought and spectacular race.

A result that goes well beyond the placement. Van der Poel had been away from mountain biking for some time and arrived at this event after the Tour de France, which he finished with a triumph on the Champs-Élysées. A few days of rest, then altitude training in Livigno and a return to the fat tires. However, the objective is already crystal clear: the world title at Val di Sole, scheduled for August 26-30.

At Les Gets, Van der Poel immediately rediscovered the sensations he was looking for. The starting position, obtained thanks to participation in Friday's short track, allowed him to launch from the second row and immediately insert himself into the leading group.

"I missed all of this," he said after the race. "Today was a fantastic day, especially because I managed to be at the front of the group again. It had been a while since that happened, but being able to start up front always gives you an advantage. I found myself immediately in the leading group. I had a lot of fun. I missed the final sprint, but I'm happy with my performance."

The reference to the final sprint tells the story of the race well. Van der Poel managed to stay in the thick of the competition until the closing stages, but when it came time to give it everything, Boichis had something extra.

"I had a lot of fun. But right now I'm still missing that final push to be able to win, even though I'm pleased with this performance. I know the level is incredibly high," the Dutchman explained.

The 23-year-old Frenchman Boichis proved to be far from a casual opponent. Last season's Under 23 world champion, he has already achieved three victories this year and also races on the road for Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe, where he is a teammate of Remco Evenepoel.

Van der Poel tried to take the last technical section first, but failed to pass the Frenchman. "I wanted to be the first to go into the last technical section, but he was simply too strong, so I couldn't get past him anymore. I was definitely at my limit at that moment."

A battle that nonetheless left excellent signs for the Dutchman. Chilean Martin Vidaurre finished third, 32 seconds back.

The final question in the post-race press conference drew one of Van der Poel's most amusing responses. After winning on the Champs-Élysées, he was asked which race had been more difficult between Paris and Les Gets.

The answer was blunt: "I didn't manage to win here, so I'll just say it's harder here."

A joke, but also confirmation of how difficult it is for Van der Poel to immediately return to the highest levels of mountain biking after such an intense road season.

However, the second place has fueled the world championship dream. Van der Poel knows he has the legs to compete with the best, but there is an obstacle that could weigh heavily at Val di Sole: the starting position.

Not having competed in enough World Cup races, the Dutchman will not be able to start in the front rows. And in a cross-country race, this can make an enormous difference.

"The starting position is fundamental; next week I'll have more problems. I'm starting only from the fifth row."

This is the problem that could separate Van der Poel from his dream. At Les Gets he started from the second row and found himself immediately up front. At Val di Sole he will instead have to make up ground, spending precious energy already in the early stages of the race.

"It's a good result, but I also had an excellent race at Les Gets last year, only to not be at my best at the World Championships. The starting position is fundamental and I have to start again from the fifth row. So I also need a bit of luck."

In Van der Poel's palmares there are now victories and titles in abundance. He has won World Championships on the road and in cyclocross, Monuments, Tour de France stages, and successes on the most prestigious roads of the international calendar.

But there is still one great dream he has not managed to achieve: becoming the elite world champion in mountain biking. Val di Sole will represent a new opportunity for him, perhaps the most important in this discipline.

"Trying to become world champion in this discipline one day is still a great goal. I still have a few years ahead of me and I want to make the most of every opportunity that comes my way."

Now there are just a few days left to perfect his preparation. Then, at Val di Sole, Van der Poel will try to complete another chapter of an already extraordinary career. This time, however, the road to gold will start from the fifth row. And for someone like Mathieu van der Poel, perhaps, this too can simply become just another challenge to win.