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He had a quiet Tour de France, however Mathieu van der Poel has a behavior of hitting his targets.
World street race championship final 12 months. The CX world championships earlier this 12 months. And the Ronde van Vlaanderen-Paris-Roubaix double this spring.
Now, with the Olympic street race unfurling on Saturday, it’s worrying information for his rivals: he feels he’s prepared.
“I educated rather well,” he stated, chatting with AD.nl. “Intensive and explosive. I all the time want that after I come out of a grand tour.”
Van der Poel was anticipated by many to be looking phases within the Tour de France however, other than some assaults on the phases to Valloire, Pau and Saint-Lary-Soulon Pla d’Adet, his most important presence within the race was in serving to teammate Jasper Philipsen clock up his stage wins.
That was an essential position, however there was nonetheless a way of anti-climax about his race.
If he wins in Paris, although, that may all be immaterial.
What he’s aiming to attain is alongside the identical strains as Glasgow final 12 months, the place he dominated to take the world title. There are definitely clear parallels: a serious in the future goal, a equally robust course, and an virtually an identical time period between the top of the Tour and the large occasion.
He had 14 days between them final summer time; this 12 months it’s 13. Shut sufficient to repeat/paste the template.
“Subconsciously, you might be doing the identical,” he stated. “The Tour, after which prepare for the large purpose of the 12 months. However, in fact, it doesn’t give any ensures.”
Nonetheless, the temper is upbeat.
“I really feel actually good and did all the things I needed to do.’”
Lacking a key rival
One factor which can make his job simpler is the absence of Tadej Pogačar from the occasion. Final 12 months the Slovenian was one of many strongest, and even when Van der Poel received out in the long run, Pogačar’s type on this 12 months’s Tour was chic.
He may properly have taken a gold medal however declared final week that he wouldn’t participate, each as a result of fatigue after his Giro-Tour double, and likewise partially as a result of the nationwide selectors didn’t decide his associate Urška Žigart.
In ways in which simplifies issues for Van der Poel, however he does need to pay cautious consideration to the 2022 world champion Remco Evenepoel, who completed third on this 12 months’s Tour. He and Belgian teammate Wout van Aert are a critical double act, making the prospects of a Dutch-Belgian sq. off all of the extra probably.
There are in fact others who may even be critical contenders.
Van der Poel has made sacrifices to be prepared for Saturday. He eschewed his conventional coaching stints in Spain submit Tour to stay in Belgium, partly as a result of he has a brand new bike for the Video games and needed to be close to the service course in case changes had been wanted.
He has additionally turned his again on MTB racing, one thing he advised AD.nl is definitely a serious goal for 4 years’ time.
“I might have beloved to have been there, sure,” he stated, speaking about watching the MTB races a number of days in the past. “I’m by no means on the mountain bike, sadly. Not even in between [races] for enjoyable. The final time was on the summer time break in September.
“I take into consideration the four-year Los Angeles Olympics. To make mountain biking a terrific purpose. To stay there with a selected preparation. By then, I’ll be on the finish of my profession with an excellent purpose.”
That’s definitely a robust goal for 2028. He’s received a extra urgent one earlier than then, with a unique sort of gold medal foremost on his thoughts.
Mathieu van der Poel #Paris2024
️ “It appears like #CyclingRoad can change into an uncontrollable race. I might say that is a bonus for me. I had mainly the identical preparation as final 12 months for Glasgow.”
(Wielerflits, Raymond Kerckhoffs) pic.twitter.com/0GQin0NZip
— Domestique (@Domestique___) August 1, 2024
