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"
Cycling
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,"
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
claps 3visitors 3
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- Pidcock finished 9th place, 29 minutes down. he is a helluva rider, so gutsy. and he is amazing at all disciplines. but this headline is . . .mij09-11-2026
- I know, watch the video. and listen to her competitors. it was a tricky tacky call at best. WTF is this guy talking about??? my original comment was from the picture it didn't look like anything.mij09-11-2026
- I dunno what you're talking about. you make no sense. MS's competitor and the competitors coach said it was BS. she didn't deviate in a way that relegation should be required. revel LOL. you're so cool, in your own mind.mij09-11-2026
- deviation lol, watch the videomij09-11-2026
- the 'No different than women who follow and discuss celebs through gossip magazines' comment was unfortunately a bit off. didn't you just boast about your principles in the comments section of another article?Ketterechts08-11-2026
- Are you MrMauMau 2.0? Nothing you are saying is really relevant. Vaguely connected, but irrelevant. The conversation is whether Schreiber impeded Brand or not.
Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026 - He is boring
leedorney08-11-2026 - To Twoje przemyślenia te bla, bla :)
Dariusz08-11-2026 - Uwielbiam patrzeć, jak wyjeżdża na czoło peletonu i zaczyna się rzeź...Dariusz08-11-2026
- Yeah, unreal.
parisbound0008-11-2026
Loading
Write a comment