"Making the race tough is not up to us" - Mathieu van der Poel and Netherlands want to seize opportunities at World Championships
CyclingFriday, 25 September 2026 at 15:15
Mathieu van der Poel and the Netherlands know that they have to seize a golden World Championships opportunity in the absence of Tadej Pogacar. But when it comes to commanding the race, they're happy to let other nations do their dirty work in Montreal.
The Alpecin Premier-Tech leader is not one of the pure favourites ahead of Sunday's showdown. With twelve laps of the Montreal circuit on offer, the pure climbers will be better suited to the finale, meaning that van der Poel could be aiming for an attacking race.
After his 170-kilometre solo attack at the Tour de Luxembourg, van der Poel showed that he's more than ready to take a shot at his second rainbow jersey. His Netherlands national team coach Koos Moerenhout believes that Pogacar's absence will make it an open race.
Noting that other countries will see opportunity, Slovenia without Pogacar is certainly a game-changer as the dynamics of the race change significantly.
“It means, at the very least, that the top favorite is not participating. It will be an open race at the front,” the national coach told Wielerflits.
Mathieu van der Poel
Countries see opportunity for World Championships win
“There are other countries now that see opportunities, and there are countries with their own plan that would have fought for it anyway. That will be no different now. But Slovenia without Pogacar is a different story.”
Noting the potential Team USA tactics as an opportunity, Moerenhout confirmed that the Dutch team is totally in service of van der Poel and thinks that the race will be made hard by the pro-active nature of many teams in the race.
“But America also has several riders who can go far and dare to race. They can bring something extra. That offers opportunities for us as well.
Van der Poel the absolute leader of Netherlands
“He is the absolute team leader; we will try to support him as much as possible. The race will determine exactly how far that will be. It could be a matter of dropping him off, fixing something once in a while, or looking for an opening. Making the race tough is not up to us. I think that will happen automatically from the first time we ride onto the course."
For van der Poel, his rainbow ambitions are rooted in realism. He knows he's not the true favourite for the race, but if the right things go his way and he's on form, anything can happen.
“He is very realistic. A number of riders are higher up the list of favourites, but I think he sees opportunities as well. The course of the race has to go his way and his legs have to be there, then he is capable of extraordinary things
Gavin QuinnCycling Journalist
Gavin Quinn is a cycling journalist and ultra-distance cyclist with a BA in Journalism from Dublin City University. Formerly the Press & Communications Officer for Cycling Ireland, Gavin has worked inside the national team at the World Championships and has reported for the Irish Mirror, Mirror UK, and The42.
His expertise is backed by elite-level access, having interviewed stars like Sam Bennett and Ben Healy, as well as immense personal endurance. In 2025, he completed a 12,000km solo cycle from Ireland to Vietnam, following a 4,600km tour across Europe. From the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix to the gradients of the Tourmalet, Gavin’s writing focuses on the "romance and brutality" of the sport. Having visited 50+ countries, he brings a global, cultural perspective to his coverage of the pro peloton for CyclingUpToDate.
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