Mathieu van der Poel assured good support for World Championships: "Wilco is one of the most extraordinary talents I have ever worked with"

Mathieu van der Poel has been preparing for the World Championships and after a very strong Tour de Luxembourg, it can be asserted that he is ready. It will be a very difficult fight to keep the rainbow jersey on his shoulders but he will have strong support: including Team Visma | Lease a Bike duo Wilco Kelderman and Bart Lemmen who competed against him this past week.

"He has been perfect for a long time now, with a strong Tour de France, then some gas back, and then he needed the Clasica San Sebastián to be good again in Poland. We expect him to maintain that fine form these weeks," Visma DS Arthur van Dongen told In de Leiderstrui regarding Wilco Kelderman. "Wilco is one of the most extraordinary talents I have ever worked with. He just has a very high base-level standard."

Read also

Tadej Pogacar talks about Tour de France body weight and 2020 Tour de France TT victory - "I was doing 380-390 watts so nothing crazy on the flat"

Having finished in the Top10 of Paris-Nice, Tour de Suisse and third at the Tour de Pologne, the 33-year old will be a key piece of the Dutch team that will look to deliver van der Poel in Zurich. "He's always very good, although we only let him race when Wilco is ready. Riding the Tour de France has been very beneficial for him. This year has been an excellent investment towards next season, where he can take another step with a good winter".

The Dutch don't have a luxurious lineup for the mountainous races but will have nine riders and high hopes into this week's main event. Bauke Mollema who recently rode strongly in Canada, Sam Oomen and Bart Lemmen will play an important role. Lemmen, van Dongen's rider, has also been impressing recently: "For example, we would like to see him work in the Ardennes classics, which didn't work out this year due to a collarbone fracture. He would do well there, just like in one-week stage races. Winning will happen next season".

"... We certainly take the World Championship into account in our planning. I expect Kelderman and Lemmen to be ready for the World Championship," he concluded.

Read also

Lefevere annoyed at Remco Evenepoel transfer rumours: "It started four years ago with Ineos. Today it’s Red Bull. Tomorrow it’ll be UAE, right?"

Lefevere hints at Giro-Tour double for Remco Evenepoel in 2025 - "Pogacar has shown that it is possible to win both in a row"