"On his terrain, Pogacar can do whatever he wants" - Mathieu van der Poel on World Championships, van Aert, rest and Eddy Merckx comparisons

Mathieu van der Poel is perhaps the only rider in the pro peloton that managed to match and beat Tadej Pogacar in a race (two in this case: Milano-Sanremo and Paris-Roubaix) where the Slovenian put his full focus on. In a recent interview he has widely discussed his current fatigue and how it compares to Tadej Pogacar's, why he didn't want to race the World Championships, the Slovenian's comparison with Eddy Merckx and more.

The Dutchman admits that he picked up the bike too soon after a Tour de France that was brutal and left a mark on the Alpecin-Deceuninck rider. “I tried to start riding again too quickly, but my body was not ready. Mentally and physically, I needed rest. In August and September I really struggled. Normally I train more than I have to, but this time it was the opposite," van der Poel said in an interview with Het Laatste Nieuws. "I skipped more sessions than I finished, and that is never a good sign. Even Wout van Aert and Pogacar said they needed mental rest after the Tour".

Van der Poel rode a strong spring classics campaign that was very successful and increased his palmarès in the monuments, and then followed that up with a perfect preparation towards the Tour de France which included a very active Criterium du Dauphiné and then a stage win and two stints in the yellow jersey at the Tour itself.

However he saw in the Slovenian a rider who managed to recover well from the effort. “With Tadej that seems to pass quickly, if you see how he has been flying again lately. I think the pressure on us has grown. The races are harder, the style of racing has changed, and with altitude camps and long preparation periods, it all adds up. As a leader you always have to be ready".

Outside of pro cycling, more and more in modern times it seems very important for the riders to have clear and enjoyable hobbies, which prevents burnout in a job that requires almost 12 months of full focus in the job ahead. “It is important to have something next to the bike. For me that is golf. I feel that a lot of younger riders do not have that. They are too focused on the bike. When things go well that is fine, but when they have a setback they get stuck in it.”

For van der Poel, that also includes a long vacation period currently in America, in which he has not focused much on what his rivals were up to. “I woke up in time to see the last 130 kilometres. Nowadays that is already the final. I looked at it with the feeling that I made the right decision not to ride," he said of the World Championships. "You should not race just because there is a chance to win, because then Pogacar could start alone everywhere. I texted Tadej to congratulate him. He replied that he was happy I was not there, but I do not think it would have made much difference".

The race ultimately fit the climbers and van der Poel, even at his best, would struggle to be with the best. However the Dutchman is very far from his best level, even having prepared for the Mountain BIke World Championships.

“I rode the bike once in America for a social event and that went badly. Yesterday I went out again, but the bike will probably stay in the garage a bit longer. A few more days of rest will do me good.”

He was asked about Pogacar's comparison with Eddy Merckx, to which he responded: “It is really impressive, and it looks so easy. I have said it before, the new Merckx might not be the right comparison, because his name is Pogacar, but for us it must feel a bit like it did when Merckx was racing. On his terrain, Pogacar can do whatever he wants.”

In Sanremo and Roubaix van der Poel did take the win over his rival, but that does not give him false hopes of him doing the same in the tougher races. “That was on my terrain, and even then it was close. On his terrain I am no threat to him. It does give extra motivation to be ready again next spring. If you can follow Pogacar and beat him, you are close to victory".

The 30-year old is also clear on how age has changed his style of racing, with quite a lot of success it must be said. "I have changed. Attractive racing is nice, but in the end you are judged on winning races. As I have got older I have learned to focus on what suits me best, and that has brought me far.”

Regarding the mountain bike World Championships, he admits that he will not let it go, despite the difficulties he's found taking the top result he aims for there: “That remains a goal. I will not let go of mountain biking until I have achieved what I want, even if I never do. It is for the same reason that Tadej rides Flanders and Roubaix, to have a challenge.”