"My road program will certainly not be jeopardized by this" - Mathieu van der Poel shrugs off concerns over back pain

Mathieu van der Poel finds himself in a tricky position currently with his health, but he is confident that the work he's putting on both strengthening his back and cyclocross form will not hamper him in the spring classics.

“It is frustrating that that back is acting up again. Especially because I'm sure it's conditionally just right. The knowledge that you can ride faster but can't show it because your back hurts, gnaws," van der Poel tells Wielerflits. "I also don't think it's a coincidence that it's just been two sand crosses, causing this relapse. I regularly train in the sand. Okay, that's not a contest yet. But I can simulate that well and it always went without pain.”

The pain may be caused by the heavy tracks, in deep sand or mud, leading to more use of the core which leads to pain. “The pain is not pleasant. If I can sit in a wheel for a while or recover a lap, then I can continue for half a lap full again" he describes. Over the last few weeks he's had two different races where he's experienced these difficulties, which has seen Wout van Aert take important victories and motivation."

"All the mistakes I make in the cross are not my habit either. Then you are not comfortable on the bike. Still, the pain is not the same as last year. Then I also had a lot of trouble with it in daily life. Now that is not the case. Riding quietly is no problem and after a few days I can strain my back on the road again. I am not afraid of that," he states.

Last year he had to take a month off from the bike in January, missing out on most of the cyclocross season, but nevertheless managed to miraculously regain his best form ahead of the Tour des Flandres which he won. He's racing the Benidorm World Cup this weekend before the Hoogerheide World Championships in the first week of February.

“I want things to go better during the cyclo-cross races. My road program will certainly not be jeopardized by this. Then I wouldn't race anymore. I'm sure my back won't play a role on the road," he assures. "The Cyclocross World Championships is of course important. But if that weren't there, I wouldn't have much to look for in the cross besides the fun. The last two cyclocross races were not pleasant. Before that, it was fun to take on that duel with Wout van Aert. You saw that the cross is alive. So far I've gotten a lot of fun out of my winter. I assume that I will be able to drive around pain-free at the World Cup.”

“I hope it can be done. Then Wout and I can fight it out for the world title like in the Christmas period. The fact is that something went wrong with my back in that fall in Tokyo, which we couldn't really see at the time," van der Poel continues.

"Previously I could do thirty crosses on a winter ride and I had problems with my back in one. And that didn't come close to the pain I've had the last two races. I do keep in mind that my back problems will be my Achilles heel for the coming years. I do hope it gets under control, but I also know it will always be a concern. Although those worries on the road are a lot less.”

On the road he's set to start his season in March at Strade Bianche after a month off cyclocross. He will aim towards victories at Milano-Sanremo, Tour des Flandres and Paris-Roubaix. However, all that comes after his attempt at another world title. “I always find it difficult to estimate how much chance I have of winning the rainbow jersey. I do think that Wout has an advantage, but I can have eliminated that here in Spain by then," the Alpecin-Deceuninck rider says.

"I hope that I can do my preparation well and that my back will not bother me in Hoogerheide. With a place on the first row. I don't want to depend on anyone's mistakes during the most important game. The World Championships is the only competition that counts for me this winter," he concluded.