Mathieu van der Poel on World Championships: "I need a super day to really participate with the best climbers"

Mathieu van der Poel is going into the World Championships with a different preparation then most of the other contenders, and he's also reluctant to show his true expectations ahead of the race. In what may be the beginning of a psychological battle, he plays down his chances towards a rainbow jersey.

“One and a half weeks ago," he told reporters at a press conference regarding when he decided to race the World Championships. "I was hesitant to go, but I think I can do something with this form. The last week has been going really well. If I didn’t feel I was really good, I wouldn’t leave". Van der Poel had a very busy season since it's beginning, with a long pause over injury, great comeback to form as he returned to competition at Milano-Sanremo and rode to the win at the Tour des Flandres, and then rode the Giro-Tour double - eventually abandoning the Tour with serious fatigue symptoms.

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He's since raced very little, but this week's win at the GP de Wallonie has shown good signs of form. “It’s not that bad. I don’t know if there is ideal preparation. I don’t think those races in Canada are ideal either. The level is always very high there, but I don’t think you necessarily have a better preparation by riding Canada than by training here and doing those home races," he commented, in comparation with many of his rivals' - such as Tadej Pogacar and Wout van Aert - racing schedule ahead of the Worlds which included the hilly Canadian classics. He's followed a more traditional approach with a set of races in Belgium, and he will be travelling to Australia following his presence at the Primus Classic this weekend.

“The world championship is a strange race. You never know how that will turn out. It is a bit similar to the Amstel Gold Race. Maybe a little more difficult. In that field, I need a super day to really participate with the best climbers," he aknowledged however. Taking into consideration the riding he's been able to put up this year, the signs point towards seeing the Dutchman in contention for the rainbow stripes.