Mathieu van der Poel sees '1,000 scenarios' for the World Cycling Championships road race: 'Actually reminds me a bit of Glasgow'
CyclingFriday, 25 September 2026 at 10:37
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Follow us on GoogleMathieu van der Poel held a press conference on Thursday ahead of Sunday’s World Cycling Championships in Canada. The Dutch rider addressed the IDL Pro Cycling and the gathered media at the Mortagne Hotel in Boucherville, after completing his first few laps on the World Championships course in Montreal the day before. Here's what the 2023 men's road world champion had to say.
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"Have I learned anything from the recon? Not really. Well, like I said, it's just a tough course. Probably right on the limit."- Mathieu van der Poel, Thursday Sept 24
Van der Poel knows the Mont Royal climb will be decisive
He’s mainly referring to the steep hill through Mont Royal Park. “But that second climb is pretty tough, too. It’s not so bad during training, because you can take it a bit easier in between, but if you’re riding hard the whole time, I can definitely imagine that it’ll take its toll there as well. Still, that first climb is definitely the deciding factor.”
"It’s definitely at the upper end of my limit. It’s a tough climb, but it’s not like your race is over if you can’t keep up just once. Ultimately, it’s a 3.5- to 4-minute effort. If you lose 15 seconds there, the race isn’t over,” he explains.
Read more below the photo!
Mathieu van der Poel in orange.
Van der Poel compares the course to Glasgow, where he became world champion
We’ve seen Van der Poel make some strong moves on tricky circuits more than once, but where will he make his move? “It’s really hard to compare. But this circuit does actually remind me a bit of Glasgow. Except, of course, it’s a bit more challenging than the one in Glasgow was.”
"I think it could happen at any point along the course, and there will be a lot of riders trying to break away," says MVDP. "Especially since Pogačar isn't there, I think a lot of riders see themselves as contenders. That's going to change the race, too."
"I'll decide how to approach it during the race itself," Van der Poel says, keeping his cards close to his chest. "It also depends on the situation and how my legs feel at that moment, but that’s exactly what makes a World Championship so great: that it’s so unpredictable. Especially without earpieces, but I handle that just fine, too."
The Netherlands will not take the lead at the World Cycling Championships
One thing he does know: normally, we won’t see the Netherlands in the lead. “We’re not going to take the lead. I think other countries are better suited for that, but there will certainly be countries that will make it as difficult as possible for us. I’m thinking, for example, of France and the United States. And it’s also true: you can come up with 1,000 scenarios, but in the end, you have to adapt to the race.”
"It's going to be a tough race either way, and I think that's good for me," he adds. To make up for the elevation gain, the scale is showing a slightly lower weight. "I am a bit lighter than I was in the spring, but that’s always the case. How do I do it? Mainly by eating a little less, but also by training more."
Read more below the photo!
Mathieu van der Poel is one of the favorites for the World Cycling Championships.
Van der Poel felt good Monday after historic Luxembourg attack
Last Sunday, Van der Poel once again showed what he’s capable of on a good day, with his 174-kilometer solo breakaway at the Tour of Luxembourg. “Last weekend’s performance was really great, and I’m also happy with how my legs felt, but I realise it’s not exactly typical. Things won’t change much heading into Sunday either: the race is so tough that the best riders will rise to the top.”
"I don't think I went too deep in Luxembourg. There have been Mondays when I’ve felt worse. The plan was to make it a tough day anyway—though not necessarily on my own, of course. And the rest of the race in Luxembourg was also relatively quiet, because I didn’t have the legs I’d expected,” said MVDP.
The Dutchman chose that stage race as his final preparation over the Quebec and Montreal Grand Prix, which he ultimately decided to skip. “I’ve always had the World Championships on my schedule. There was a question mark over the Canadian races, though, so we ultimately opted for a training block that included the Tour of Luxembourg. It was always the plan to do those Canadian races at some point, so this works out well now.”
Before that, he was still riding a mountain bike, so that five-day race worked out well. “The transition from mountain biking to road cycling isn’t too bad. Going the other way around takes me a lot more hours,” he says ahead of his final race of 2026. “I’m really looking forward to it, because it’s also my last race of the season. I’ve never raced here before, so it’s also fun to work toward a World Championship like this and give it my all one more time.”
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Tom van der Salm (27) comes from the charming town of Zeilberg (Deurne) in the Netherlands and has been working as editor-in-chief & journalist at IDL Pro Cycling's parent site, In de Leiderstrui, since 2019. He travels with the peloton from the Tour de France to the AlUla Tour and from the World Championships in Rwanda or Canada to the Zilvermeercross in Mol. In his spare time he enjoys playing football, mountain biking, running, walking with his Labrador/Stabyhoun, investing, holidays, (specialty) beers, reading, cooking and watching sports & documentaries!
Contact: [email protected]
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Latest Comments
- - Vamos Mathieu! Très fort aujourd’hui, forza campione—Mont Royal será fuego!pedalpowe2925-09-2026
- - This is going to be chaos without Pogi. Alaphilippe, Powless, maybe Hirschi… but if it’s attritional, MVDP in the final hour is a problem for everyone.jeremya25-09-2026
- - Not convinced skipping Quebec/MTL GPs was optimal prep. Local race rhythm matters; Luxembourg wasn’t the same level. Hope it doesn’t backfire.patriciaw25-09-2026
- - He says he’s lighter than in spring—any numbers on race weight or watts per kilo on the main climb? Curious where his limit actually is.michael5425-09-2026
- - Quick question: how many laps are they doing in Montreal, and what’s total elevation gain? Trying to picture how many times they hit Mont Royal.robert6525-09-2026
- - Without radios, he’s deadly. His race reading is elite. If it splits on the second climb, he’ll sniff it out. Go Oranje!sprocketspiny25-09-2026
- - 174 km solo in Luxembourg was wild, but I don’t think that translates1 to Montreal with no Pog and a deeper field. Still, form looks mega.davidm25-09-2026
- - Wait, is this really his final race of 2026? That can’t be right, no? Did you mean final race of the season 2024? Bit confusing there.tourdeforce925-09-2026
- - Smart not to have the Dutch ride tempo all day. Let France/USA commit early, then counter on the park climb. Classic Worlds chess.samanthak25-09-2026
- - Loved the honesty from MVDP about Mont Royal. That first climb being the decider makes sense, especially if it’s a5–4 min VO2 max effort every lap. Shades of Glasgow, but with more bite.breakawaybikerd25-09-2026
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