"There are not many better boosts than that gold medal" - Dylan van Baarle hopes to follow in partner Pauline Ferrand-Prévot's footsteps at Paris Olympic Games

Pauline Ferrand-Prévot finally managed to get her hands on an Olympic gold medal in the women's mountain bike earlier this week, much to the delight of the home French crowd in Paris. Next Saturday, her partner, Dylan van Baarle will take on his own race for gold in the men's road race.

Ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, both Van Baarle and Ferrand-Prevot spent time together at an altitude camp in Tignes. “I have a super good feeling about that training camp. I was able to do everything I wanted to do and I am here at the start with ambition and one hundred percent fitness," the Dutchman reflects in conversation with Wielerflits. "For Pauline it paid off. I am curious whether that will be the case for me too. Of course it was unplanned that we could be together a bit longer. Nevertheless, it was a very nice time to be able to do that together. There are not many better boosts than that gold medal.”

Whilst Ferrand-Prevot was the favourite heading into her race, for Van Baarle, expectations are slightly different, given the Dutch team will be led by world champion Mathieu van der Poel. Nevertheless, if Van der Poel can claim gold, Van Baarle will feel just as much joy as if he takes the title himself.

“We are going to make it a great race. I have ridden many championships together with Mathieu. We know what his strengths are, and those are my weaknesses. We have to use that together. I think it worked very well in Leuven, in Glasgow he was so good that he didn’t need many guys around him. I think it works well between us," Van Baarle previews. "The smaller peloton should be my advantage. I, but also Mathieu, can read a race very well. The two of us are quite strong in that. It will be important to be alert, that we don't have to chase the facts. Then you quickly burn each other out of course. It's going to be another crazy, atypical race."