Van der Poel's teammate could tell how he was feeling during the road race: 'So then you know he’s capable of doing crazy things'
CyclingMonday, 28 September 2026 at 10:30
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Follow us on GoogleAnd what a grueling World Cycling Championship it was: anyone who was in the mixed zone for interviews during the race and saw the riders who had just dropped out passing by would have felt like they were in 'The Hunger Games'. That was certainly the case for Bart Lemmen, who dropped out of the race in Montreal with two laps to go. “I’m completely exhausted,” he told IDL Pro Cycling.
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How did his race go? “Well, it went okay… until I got dropped. Yeah, I’m just beat right now,” said Lemmen, one of many Dutch riders who didn't finish behind team leader Mathieu van der Poel.
Read more below the photo!
Mathieu van der Poel won the bronze medal in Montreal.
Lemmen on Armirail's performance during the World Cup
Together with the other Dutch riders, Lemmen made sure Van der Poel had everything he needed during the flat opening stage. As the peloton entered the local loop in Montreal, French rider Bruno Armirail—normally Lemmen’s Visma | Lease a Bike teammate—launched a fierce attack.
"It was going really fast, and you could tell that everyone was slowly running out of steam. I certainly was," the Dutchman continues. "And then you know the final is coming up soon. Bruno isn't going to ride like that and then let the pace drop again."
Lemmen could tell that Van der Poel was feeling good
"After just two laps, you could already tell it was pretty tough," said Lemmen. “And I also think that, as a Dutch team, we actually had it under control the whole day. Mathieu then opened the final himself, and after that, it was over in a flash. Or rather, ‘over in a flash’—by then, the race was already pretty much decided.”
"That's really smart of Mathieu," Lemmen says. "He's the one setting the pace, because that way he stays in control. He's very good at that, but you still need to have the legs for it. Tactics are one thing, but on such a tough stage, you really do need your legs."
There wasn't much talking along the way, Lemmen says. "You know what he's like," he confides in us. “In a way, you can tell by looking at him whether he’s struggling or not. And I don’t think he was, haha. So then you know he’s capable of doing crazy things.”
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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
- Allez, ça arrive. Beaucoup de coeur de Seixas, mais la tactique trop agressive. Next time keep one more teammate for the finale, s’il vous plaît.lindae28-09-2026
- Not convinced by the coaching spin. “We didn’t overdo it”? Then why was the leader alone so early. Sounds like they misjudged the course and the heat. Still, respect to Seixas for owning it.cyclechamp4528-09-2026
- Voeckler’s strategy wasn’t crazy—make it hard, play to Seixas’ engine—but the timing felt off. You can’t burn matches that fast with McNulty lurking. Belgium + France basically set the table for Brandon. Great read though.cadencekingm28-09-2026
- Can someone explain why cramps happen at this level? Is it hydration only, or does pacing and electrolytes matter more? He said he’s never cramped before—how common is that in Worlds?patriciaw28-09-2026
- Brutal day for Les Bleus. Armirail lit the fuse too early IMO, and Seixas getting isolated with 70k to go was always going to bite. Still, gutsy ride and honest interview from Paul. Chin up.bikebuffj28-09-2026
- - Small detail the article missed: what about rain or sweat on the label? If the ink smears, that’s game over. Use pre-printed stickers or laminated wraps.samanthak27-09-2026
- - Great piece. Signs + bottles = redundancy. If they also use hand signals at the pit, Belgium might have the best comms of the day.cadencekingm27-09-2026
- - Pauwels joking about fake messages made me laugh. Imagine handing Remco a bottle that says “Attack now” on an odd lap and he actually goes. Qué locura, pero muy divertido, non?sprocketspiny27-09-2026
- - Feels like we’re overcomplicating. Radios make racing safer and clearer. The “boring race” argument is dated—modern Worlds are explosive anyway.gearguru3327-09-2026
- - So is the course a closed loop where they get a feed each lap? I don’t get how often riders can grab bottles at Worlds.bikebuffj27-09-2026
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