"Who will be the leader?" - Dutch coach can't count on Mathieu van der Poel for Gravel World championships

Just week after the Road World Championships in Zurich, Gravel Worlds will arrive, inviting riders to once again venture to Belgium. While Mathieu van der Poel will be in Switzerland to defend his rainbow jersey, he's start on gravel is up in the air, the new Dutch gravel coach Laurens Ten Dam reveals.

"I have a problem: who will be the leader?" the selector wondered in his podcast Live Slow Ride Fast. "I was in a conversation with Christoph Roodhooft and I had six Dutchmen in mind. At one point I tried not to even mention Mathieu, because I thought: that's not going to happen. It's a course for him, but he's very uncertain."

A few other road stars are also not a possibility. "Dylan van Baarle is a no. He fell hard of course and we are not going to take the risk that he will hit the ground again in his first race after that fall. Then I have Mike Teunissen. A former cross world champion with caliber, but the (UCI) points are very important for Intermarché - Wanty (his team). So he is also still uncertain," says Ten Dam, who can, at the very least, count on the gravel specialists in Leuven.

On the other hand, for the women's race Ten Dam will have plenty to choose from as there seems to be quite a lot of excitement to represent among the Dutch ladies. "There is a lot of enthusiasm among the women," he confirms." The GOAT, Marianne Vos, is there. Lorena Wiebes also wants to ride, as does Riejanne Markus. Demi Vollering is still in doubt, but if it were up to me she would start as well," says Ten Dam. Vollering finished third at the World Championships that were won by Katarzyna Niewiadoma last year. Sounds like a great chance to get back at the Polish rider for the Tour de France Femmes upset.