Etten-Leur hires private plane to pick-up Mathieu van der Poel ahead of Sunday's criterium

Mathieu van der Poel is currently enjoying some well-earned rest in Marbella after the World Championships. On Sunday though, Etten-Leur one of the most famous Dutch criterium races is so keen to get the newly-crowned Rainbow Jersey they have hired a private plane.

"I already spoke to Mathieu at the Acht van Chaam and then asked him if he wanted to come to us too. 'That will be difficult,' he said. 'Because I'm on vacation.' After the World Championship we wanted to have him all the way," race chairman Ronnie Buiks says in conversation with Algemeen Dagblad.

Although van der Poel will be forced to cut his holiday short, Buiks is keen to make it as easy for the Dutchman as possible whilst ensuring that it will be worth his while. "We have ensured that he has to shorten his holiday as little as possible," Buiks explains. "He was actually supposed to come back on Monday afternoon, but now that will be Sunday morning, so that he can race with us on Sunday afternoon. Because there are no flights available from Malaga that day, we're going to get him with a private plane."

"It's unique," he admits. "We are the first competition where Van der Poel will show his rainbow jersey. And the same goes for the women's world champion, Lotte Kopecky. She also rides her first race here after the World Championship. We could well surpass the 20,000 spectators of 2018. With Kopecky I also think there will be a lot of visitors from Belgium. There will be two camera crews from that country anyway."