Mathieu van der Poel made repeated makes an attempt to bend the European Championships highway race to his will on Sunday, however the Dutchman’s aggression was finally snuffed out with 25km to go and the race led to a bunch dash.
Tim Merlier (Belgium) claimed the title forward of Van der Poel’s compatriot Olav Kooij, whereas the world champion needed to accept thirtieth place in one in every of his closing outings within the rainbow jersey.
Though the Hasselt finale had attracted a number of sprinters to the European Championships, Van der Poel aimed to interrupt the race aside on the cobbles and hills of the Limburg circuit, and he started his offensive with over 100km nonetheless to race, bringing contenders like Mads Pedersen (Denmark) and Matteo Trentin (Italy) with him
“It was our tactical plan to attempt to make the race laborious there and to ensure we at all times had somebody with us. We did that very nicely, I feel,” Van der Poel mentioned, based on Het Laatste Nieuws.
“I did my factor on the highway to the most effective of my capacity. However all the pieces backfired due to the robust Italian block, which we anticipated. They pulled all the pieces and everyone again. Was it irritating? No, I knew beforehand that it could be very troublesome. It isn’t one thing I’m bothered about.”
But even when there was an air of inevitability in regards to the final result, Van der Poel was nonetheless railing towards these odds deep into the ultimate hour of racing. With 30km remaining, he was nonetheless off the entrance in a six-man group that included Pedersen and defending champion Christophe Laporte (France).
“There was an opportunity after all, so we believed in it,” Van der Poel mentioned. “However truthfully, I did not have tremendous legs myself. The hole wanted to be a bit larger to make it to the end.”
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After Van der Poel’s assaults got here to an finish, the Dutch focus switched to Kooij, however he was outmatched by Merlier within the ending straight.
“Perhaps we must always have led him out a bit higher,” Van der Poel mentioned. “But it surely was fairly hectic in that closing kilometre, an extended straight with a headwind.”
The race was Van der Poel’s first since he deserted the Renewi Tour forward of the ultimate stage two weeks in the past, and he’ll return to motion on the Tour of Luxembourg on Wednesday as he builds in direction of the defence of his highway world title in Zurich on September 29.
Van der Poel loved a thunderous begin to his 2024 season, teeing up Jasper Philipsen for Milan-San Remo victory earlier than serving to himself to E3 Harelbeke, the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix, in addition to a third-place end at Liège-Bastogne-Liège.
The second part of Van der Poel’s marketing campaign has been much less profitable, although he performed an element in serving to Philipsen to a hat-trick of stage wins on the Tour de France. Van der Poel stays among the many high contenders for the Zurich Worlds, although Tadej Pogačar will certainly line out because the favorite after his exhibition on the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal on Sunday.
“This further aggressive rhythm was welcome for me,” Van der Poel mentioned of his time out on the European Championships. “The Tour of Luxembourg subsequent week may even do me good. After which it’s full throttle restoration in direction of Zurich.”
