Mathieu van der Poel on Pogacar: "If we all just say Tadej is going to win, we might as well hand him the jersey now"

Mathieu van der Poel is one of the big favourites into the Zurich World Championships. The defending champion faces a goliath task to tackle the likes of Tadej Pogacar and Remco Evenepoel in a course that is slightly more favourable towards the climbers.

The Dutchman was asked for his opinion on the safety issues that emerge after the death of female junior rider Muriel Furrer. "It’s clear that we’re not doing well as a sport. I think it’s easy to point fingers, but as a sport, we need to think more about safety," van der Poel told In de Leiderstrui. "It’s unfortunate that something always has to happen before anything changes. But it’s also the speed we race at, the fighting for positions — things like that make it dangerous."

The 4200 meters of climbing feature two main climbs, but also several sharp ramps before the descent into the lakeside and run-in to the finish in Zurich. Last year the route was very sharp, explosive and ideal for the Dutchman. This year it's not the case: "It’s a tough course, I knew that before I got here. The recon confirmed that, but it could still go in different directions. I think it’s hard to compare races. With the pros, you often see a more controlled race."

"I hadn’t looked at it in detail before, but the cumulative climbs will take their toll. After the recon, I’d say it’s realistic that I’m not the top favorite, but as the defending champion, I want to do my best. But they’re not just going to let me ride without keeping an eye out". Tadej Pogacar and Remco Evenepoel will certainly be those who will be benefited the most from this difficult route, where the wet roads may also play a role.

"If we all just say Tadej is going to win, we might as well hand him the jersey now. We’re going to fight for it, but they’d also be worthy champions," the Dutchman adds. He add a goofy comment on the leader of the Belgian team: "I’ve spoken with Remco regularly in Spain, though. Did he say I couldn’t keep up with him? Then he was messing around, I think".

Van der Poel may benefit from the fact that he is not the main favourite. "Many countries will make it difficult for them by isolating them. Will I do that? It depends on how the race goes, but it has to lead to something. There’s no point in being 30 seconds ahead of the peloton if I don’t have a super day".

He was asked about the weight loss again, reportedly of around 1-1.5Kg, nothing too meaningful but an important boost for his climbing abilities for Zurich. "It wasn’t that extreme, I didn’t do it for a long period. After the Olympics, I made some changes, but nothing too strict. I just tried to pay a bit more attention. I’ve always eaten healthily, but now it’s more about portion sizes. I haven’t had fries in a long time, no,"