Van der Poel on World Championships: "I wouldn't go to Australia if I don't think I can win there"
Cycling
Mathieu van der Poel has been announced as the leader of the Netherlands for the upcoming World Championships, and he will be one of the main favourites going into Wollongong.
Talking to Sporza about the race, he has talked about his chances of succeeding: "It's hard to estimate, but I wouldn't go to Australia if I don't think I can win there. The course? That will be on the edge, I think. It is Amstel Gold Race-like, but then I also have to be 100 percent to win.
The Dutchman has made an incredible comeback to form in March at Milano-Sanremo following a back injury that has kept him off the bike the whole of January. Despite the lack of an ideal preparation, he went on to be incredibly successful in the spring, and at the Giro d'Italia where he won the opening stage. What followed was a disappointing Tour de France, however he has time to finish off the season in a high in it's last month.
"I'm never stressed before a race again. In the first years I had that in the field at the World Championships, but now I no longer feel pressure," he said. Asked about his back issues, van der Poel also hinted at a good process that has kept him race fit. "I have to keep working to keep the problem away. I spend quite a few hours in the gym to keep everything under control. I have work with it, but I can cycle completely pain-free again," he concluded.
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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