"My chances? They are rather small" - Mathieu van der Poel plays down expectations ahead of European Championship road race

This afternoon in Belgium, the 2024 men's elite European Championship road race takes place. Among the list of star names on the start line, is the current world champion, Mathieu van der Poel.

With many expecting a sprint finish to be the decider of the day though, Van der Poel himself admits that he may turn into a super-domestique for the leadout of Olav Kooij, rather than compete for the victory himself. "My chances? They are rather small," the Dutchman assesses in conversation with Het Nieuwsblad. "We have seen so far that you can make the difference, but it will depend on the control that is there."

Van der Poel already has plenty of experience in the leadouts, having led Jasper Philipsen to multiple stage wins at the Tour de France over the past two years, the world champion could be a very handy piece in the arsenal of Olav Kooij for the finale. “There are quite a few top sprinters present,” Van der Poel continues. “And if I still have the legs, I will do the lead-out for Olav Kooij. It has already been a successful EC for the Netherlands, so we will try to add another medal.”

In terms of his own goals for the remainder for the season, Van der Poel's main target is retaining his World Championship title in Zurich. Given the course is a little more climber friendly that perhaps Van der Poel would've wished for however, he's been undertaking some extra climbing in training.

"I trained a lot on climbing in Spain? That's right and I especially hope that it will have a positive effect during the World Championships," the Alpecin-Deceuninck rider explains in conclusion. "Climbing is never bad for the general shape, though. We are motivated with the team to make something beautiful of it."