"He did not mark the Olympic Games for nothing" - Dutch coach believes Mathieu van der Poel can repeat his Glasgow success in Paris

Mathieu van der Poel's big objective, the Olympic Games, is quickly approaching as the 2024 Tour de France is coming to an end. There, the Alpecin-Deceuninck rider gradually improved over the three weeks, Dutch national coach Koos Moerenhout notices. According to him, it's a good sign that he could repeat his Glasgow World Championships success.

"I do see him improving, so that is very positive," tells WielerFlits. "He himself indicated that he had hoped to be a bit better in the first week. Of course I don’t feel his legs and his body, but from a distance it looks somewhat comparable to last year. Knowing that a blueprint was made last year towards a very good World Championships. We hope that this will be the case again this time."

The fact that Van der Poel jumps along in mountain stages also puts a smile on Moerenhout's face. "Those stages are quite difficult. But he attacks and rides along. Mathieu himself also knows that these are quite difficult stages for him to win. But he is there and he does it in a good way. That shows that he is definitely growing and seizing the right moments to take further steps. You could also see in his work for Jasper Philipsen that he was a bit searching in the beginning. But then he shows that he can pull off such a sprint again wonderfully."

According to the national coach, Van der Poel knows exactly what he is doing and also what he will have to do in Paris. "I base my decision purely on what I see. Of course I sometimes ask around him. The feedback I receive is good. A lot of contact with Mathieu himself is also not necessary. That is a matter of trust and also the experience of the last few years. He did not mark the Olympic Games for nothing, as he did with the World Championships before."

"I also see that his body language is positive," Moerenhout notes. "Unlike last year, he also did not get sick. And he is quickly catching up on the deficit that he may have experienced in the first week. He also said that several records were broken on TrainingPeaks. That does say that he is doing well and is healthy and fit. He is clearly making progress. He can really approach the Games with confidence."