Mathieu van der Poel backs radio-free racing after Worlds thriller: ‘You really have to race on instinct’

Van der Poel took bronze behind surprise winner Brandon McNulty and Australia’s Michael Matthews after spending much of the 273km road race on the offensive.

The former world champion first helped ignite the race from distance before repeatedly attacking as the field splintered on the Montreal circuit. Although his aggression ultimately failed to deliver the rainbow jersey, Van der Poel felt he had raced the way he wanted.

“I would obviously rather be world champion, but I rode the race I wanted to ride,” Van der Poel told NOS afterwards. “I think I rode an incredibly strong race.”

The Dutchman pointed in particular to his ability to anticipate the decisive moves rather than react to them.

“I was basically ahead of all the attacks that came from behind,” he said. “That was more or less what I had in mind. I don’t think it was that far away from succeeding, but unfortunately it didn’t.”

Van der Poel was already attacking with roughly 90km remaining, at a point when many of the main contenders were still waiting for the race to settle. He repeatedly tried to force the strongest riders into action, refusing to save everything for one late acceleration.

The reasoning, he explained, was simple.

“I felt good and I just wanted to make the race hard,” Van der Poel said. “Above all, I wanted to be ahead when the big names went on that climb, because I knew it would be difficult.”

He also knew that hesitation behind could transform an ambitious move into a winning one.

“You never know. If they hesitate a little behind and give us a bit more time, then it’s definitely possible. In the end they came back, and it actually wasn’t that far away. But then I had to gamble.”

That gamble helped shape a chaotic finale.

Van der Poel had been part of several dangerous combinations before McNulty eventually slipped clear with 33km remaining. The American took advantage of the uncertainty among the chasers and built enough of a lead to survive the late pursuit.

Van der Poel still had enough left to attack again in the closing kilometres, but McNulty was already on his way to the rainbow jersey. Matthews won the sprint for silver, leaving Van der Poel with bronze.

For Van der Poel, the nature of the race itself was almost as significant as the result.

The elite World Championships are raced without the usual team radio communication, leaving riders to make more decisions themselves instead of constantly receiving information from a sports director in the team car.

Van der Poel has long been an advocate of that style of racing.

“That is the most beautiful thing there is, also without radios,” he said. “I think that always produces very beautiful races. I’ve said it a few times already, I’m a fan of it.”

“You really have to race on instinct,” Van der Poel added. “And that is what I like doing most.”