"Tadej Pogacar and I are a bit above the rest" - Mathieu van der Poel eyes one as the big rival for Tour of Flanders

Mathieu van der Poel has been confirmed as Alpecin-Deceuninck's leader for the Tour of Flanders this Friday afternoon, 48 hours before his clash with Tadej Pogacar on the Flandrien bergs. It is a battle that is widely expected, specially after Milano-Sanremo; and the Dutchman believes the duo is above the rest when it comes to favoritism and responsibility.

“The first few days after the E3 Saxo Classic I took it pretty easy to recover properly. Yesterday I did an intensive training session on the Tour of Flanders course," van der Poel said in a press release issued by the team. In this, it was revealed that the likes of Gianni Vermeersch and Quinten Hermans will be present as his main domestiques; whilst both Jasper Philipsen and Kaden Groves will instead focus on Paris-Roubaix.

"The course holds no secrets for me, so from that point of view it wasn’t really necessary. But because I decided to stay in Belgium between the E3 and the Tour of Flanders, a longer training session on the course seemed like a good idea.”

Van der Poel has won the Ronde van Vlaanderen on three occasions, and is within reach of making history as the first rider in pro cycling to have won it four times. The race that will follow is one that he can visualize pretty well, and his rivals won't come as a surprise. “I don’t think it will be a big surprise. Let’s just say that we are prepared for whatever happens, good or bad," he says.

"The key is to stay calm in all situations. As always, my teammates will do everything they can to put me in the best possible position. Then it’s up to me to try to win the race, although that is of course much easier said than done.” It is expected that either on the second ascent to the Oude Kwaremont or the Koppenberg, Tadej Pogacar will try to make the difference and prevent being outsmarted. The World Champion has also talked about how he doesn't want to take the race to a sprint.

But regardless of the scenario, the duo seem above the competition over the past two weeks, and here he we could see the same: “Based on recent results and how the races have gone, I still think it’s fair to say that Tadej Pogacar and I are a bit above the rest. But I always take into account multiple riders and teams. A lot can happen and the dynamics of a race can always surprise you. Underestimating my rivals is never an option".

“My answer remains the same as when I was asked something similar for the Cyclocross World Championships: I just want to win the race on Sunday. If I can do that, the record will come automatically. Don’t get me wrong, it’s incredibly special. I never thought I would be in this position. But it’s not something I actively think about during the race.”

Alpecin-Deceuninck for Tour of Flanders: