Mathieu van der Poel Confident Ahead of World Championship Despite Missing Out on Victory at Tour de Luxembourg: "I am happy with the feeling"

Mathieu van der Poel may have missed out on overall victory at the Tour de Luxembourg, but the Dutchman remains optimistic as he prepares to defend his rainbow jersey at the 2024 World Championships in Zurich next weekend.

Van der Poel started the final stage of the race in the leader's yellow jersey, only to be overtaken by Bahrain Victorious rider Antonio Tiberi. Tiberi launched a decisive attack in the closing stages of the stage, capitalizing on the challenging terrain and a narrow 10-second deficit in the general classification. Finishing more than 20 seconds ahead of Van der Poel, Tiberi claimed both the stage and the overall victory.

Despite finishing second overall, Van der Poel remains upbeat about his form heading into one of the biggest races of the season. Speaking to In de Leiderstrui, the defending World Champion acknowledged the challenges he faced during the final stage.

"As I've said before this round: it's a shame that we lost a few guys from the team. In a stage like this, I could have used some support. The local circuit here was very difficult," said Van der Poel.

The Dutchman highlighted the difficulty of racing without adequate team support on such a demanding course, where individual tactics played a major role. "I think I showed that I had the legs to win, but it's quite difficult to make a difference on your own, especially when you attack in turns. You have to gamble a bit."

Despite the setback, Van der Poel took several positives from his performance. "I am happy with the feeling," he said. "My legs were good here in Luxembourg. I also simply enjoyed it. On the last, steep climb of this stage, I also noticed that I was doing well. I can be happy about that."

As the 2024 World Championships approach, Van der Poel will face fierce competition from riders like Tadej Pogacar and Remco Evenepoel. However, his strong showing in Luxembourg suggests that the Dutchman will still be a serious threat in Zurich.