"It was also Dutch-Belgian weather yesterday, so it was
another pretty hellish stage," Van der Poel told Eurosport.
Friday’s Stage 5 features a hilly finale, with two punishing
climbs expected to separate the strongest riders. The profile is similar to a
stage in the 2023 edition, where Van der Poel claimed a spectacular victory.
However, he was quick to point out a key difference.
"That was from an early breakaway, to make a side note.
It is just difficult to estimate how difficult it really is, and what the
climbers are going to do today."
During the final kilometres of Stage 4, Van der Poel launched
an attack, but was reeled in by a powerful solo effort from Filippo Ganna.
Despite the Italian’s strength, Van der Poel wasn’t shocked by what he saw.
"I think he is in reasonably good shape, but I am not
impressed. I think everyone knows how strong Ganna is as a rider, and he has
also been close a few times in Sanremo, so he is someone to be reckoned
with."
After two gruelling days of racing in brutal weather, Van
der Poel admits that his energy levels will dictate his ambitions for Stage 5.
"The past two days really took their toll, with the bad
weather. They were also two tough rides, so we'll see how my legs feel
today."
He also highlighted just how extreme the conditions have
been, noting that even seasoned professionals struggled to cope with the cold, "I
haven't experienced weather like this very often. Yesterday, half of the
peloton also stopped to change at the car, so I think it's the same for
everyone."
The impact of the cold was particularly evident in the
sprint, where he felt noticeably drained, "If I look at the sprint values:
there wasn't much left, but that was the case for everyone, I think."