Van der Poel's Alpecin boss has a warning for the men's World Championship peloton: 'That’s what makes it fun'

Just like two years ago, Van der Poel chose to prepare for the race by competing in the Tour of Luxembourg. The Dutchman won the first stage right away, but faded somewhat in the subsequent stages. However, he pulled off a masterful solo breakaway of no less than 174 kilometers in the final stage. Roodhooft explains to De Telegraaf why that was so important.

"I think it was especially nice for Mathieu to end his last race before the World Championships this way. The mental aspect is very important. We knew that our preparation for the World Championships was on track, but that wasn’t the case at all when it came to tapering for the Tour of Luxembourg. He did get off to a strong start with that stage win, after which things weren’t quite as good in the following stages, but he recovered quickly and finished it off like that. That’s nice.”

A climbing course like the one in Canada isn’t ideal for Van der Poel, who has to tackle the Voie Camilien-Houde twelve times. But Roodhooft warns: “Mathieu is at his ideal weight—his lowest weight. He’s been keeping an eye on it. At certain times of the year, he’s a bit more relaxed with the ‘food app.’ The fact is, he definitely isn’t consuming too many calories. That’s the most important thing.”

Isaac Del Toro, Remco Evenepoel, Paul Seixas... There are plenty of top climbers at the start of the road race, all eager to become world champion. The Belgian is looking beyond that. “On paper, you always see certain names, but there’s always a chance someone else we haven’t really considered could win. Now that Pogačar isn’t here, you can’t say in advance, ‘He’s going to win.’”

Moreover, the number of contenders is one of Van der Poel’s strengths, says Roodhooft. “Mathieu has to keep a lot of riders in mind, but a lot of riders also have to keep Mathieu in mind. In that regard, I think that works to our advantage, and that’s why I believe Mathieu can come out on top at this World Championship. It’s not easy for anyone to just drop Mathieu van der Poel somewhere on this course.”

For the Dutch team, the world champion from Glasgow is the sole, undisputed leader. Other teams are taking the same approach, such as France with Paul Seixas. Belgium, however, has two leaders in Wout van Aert and Evenepoel. Roodhooft is watching with interest to see how they’ll work together: both Belgians will be eager to win.

"Van Aert could be a bridge to the final, though it all depends on how things unfold and when those riders see their own opportunity," he analyses. “If Van Aert sees his own opportunity and tries to join the break just in time, then it’s a matter of waiting to see how the French riders react. Will Seixas tailor his race to Evenepoel? Yes, that’s what makes it fun.”

So there’s plenty of competition for Van der Poel. But he’s always at his best when he’s truly focused on a goal. “That’s true, but uphill it evens things out a lot. At some point, you’re really put to the test.” If you look at the footage from Glasgow: the first one to drop back there was Pogačar, and the last was Van Aert. Now the climb is a bit longer—I know that, too. How you feel on the day will be the deciding factor in everything.”