Florian Vermeersch bets on Mathieu van der Poel for Tour of Flanders - "He's in super shape, the course suits him best of everyone"

While Florian Vermeersch will be competing in the Tour of Flanders, he doesn't consider himself a potential winner, placing his bet on Mathieu van der Poel to come out on top.

“I have never achieved a top result in De Ronde, and I have never had a good feeling. After the big three, I hope to find myself among the first twenty or 25 riders. After that, there are many who qualify for a top 10 or top 20. I hope I can put myself in there on Sunday. But I'm sober about it,” he told WielerFlits.

Realising that the three dominant riders and their teams will be the focus of the race, he understands that his chances to shine will be limited, but he will remain vigilant for any chance that may arise. “It looks like it's going to be a win between those three. They will not only get each other directly, but also with their teams by putting teammates ahead. To put other teams on the defensive. I think there are opportunities for riders like me to move along.”

Speaking about van Aert, he says, “The way he and Jumbo-Visma drive around is very impressive. Wout is not the oldest yet, so he will probably still have chances to win De Ronde. I think it's all a bit exaggerated that he should win. Moreover, Pogačar has impressed me the most so far.”

But still, his top choice is not Pogcar because “he doesn't have much racing experience here. Pogačar comes here maybe three or four times a year. To win. I think that's great, because course knowledge and positioning are super crucial here.”

In his view, the Dutch rider is the most likely to emerge victorious in the race owing to his familiarity with the course and impressive performance this season. “Still, if I had to give one name for a win on Sunday, it would be Mathieu van der Poel . I think he's in super shape. Mathieu is also a very smart runner, perhaps smarter today than he ever was. And simply because the course suits him best of everyone,” concluded Vermeersch.