Mathieu van der Poel plays down World Championships chances: ‘Just a little too difficult for me’

Mathieu van der Poel could hardly have asked for a better return to road racing.

In his first road race since the Tour de France, the Dutchman won the opening stage of the Tour de Luxembourg after attacking on the decisive climb and still finding enough power to win the uphill sprint.

But less than two weeks before the World Championships in Montréal, Van der Poel is refusing to allow that performance to change his assessment of the course awaiting him in Canada.

“I think the race is just a little too difficult for me,” Van der Poel told NOS before the start in Luxembourg.

His caution is largely based on what he saw in the recent Grand Prix de Montréal, which included roads that will also feature during the World Championship road race.

Isaac Del Toro (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) won ahead of Paul Seixas (Decathlon CMA CGM) and Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates-XRG), with climbers dominating the front of the race.

“That was pretty clear when you saw Sunday’s race and the types of riders who were at the front,” Van der Poel said.

Van der Poel deliberately skipped the Canadian races and instead chose an additional training block before returning to competition in Luxembourg.

His focus during that period was primarily on endurance. Luxembourg, by contrast, was chosen to provide the repeated high intensity efforts that are difficult to reproduce in training.

“I am going to need the intensity,” the Dutchman said. “I have focused heavily on endurance training, so here I am really looking for those intensive efforts.”

The opening stage provided exactly that.

Van der Poel accelerated several times on the final significant climb and briefly appeared capable of riding away. His move was eventually caught, but he recovered and still had enough left to beat Pierre Gautherat (Decathlon CMA CGM) in the uphill sprint, with Marijn van den Berg (EF Education-EasyPost) finishing third.

The result offered an immediate indication that his preparation is moving in the right direction.

Yet Van der Poel sees a clear difference between winning in Luxembourg and competing for a world title on a course he believes favours lighter climbers.

At the same time, he believes a World Championship can develop differently from a conventional professional race.

“You never know at a championship,” he said. “They can be unusual races. It is with national teams and without communication, so it is not like other races.”

That uncertainty leaves the door slightly open. “I think my chances are small,” Van der Poel added. “But I am looking forward to it.”

Van der Poel has also made a physical adjustment with Montréal in mind.

The Alpecin-Premier Tech rider told HLN that he is around two kilograms lighter than he was during the spring, repeating an approach he also used before the 2024 World Championships in Zürich.

“I notice that it makes a big difference when I am two kilograms lighter than I was in the spring,” he said. “That is the case now.”

There are obvious similarities with his preparation two years ago. Van der Poel also used the Tour de Luxembourg before the Zürich World Championships, winning the opening stage and eventually finishing second overall before taking bronze in the road race.

However, he does not see Montréal as a direct repeat.

“I think the course is slightly different,” Van der Poel explained. “Zürich had a lot of climbing, but it did not have one longer climb like Montréal does.”

Even the absence of Tadej Pogačar has done little to alter his own expectations.

“That does not change much for me,” Van der Poel said. “I still think it will be just a little too difficult.”

The strength of riders such as Seixas and Del Toro only adds to that assessment. “Seixas obviously has a strong French team around him, but someone like Del Toro is strong enough to do his own race even without a team,” Van der Poel added.

Belgium will also have multiple options through Remco Evenepoel and Wout van Aert, while the Netherlands heads to Montréal with Van der Poel as its clear leader.

He acknowledged that having another protected rider could make the tactical situation easier, but believes the Dutch team contains enough riders capable of remaining involved if the decisive phase begins early.

“It is always easier if you have that second option,” he said. “But I think we have riders who can still be there when the final starts early and can take some of the pressure away.”

For now, Van der Poel’s message is a measured one.

Van der Poel is not presenting himself as the man to beat. But with his form clearly moving in the right direction, few will be overlooking him in Montréal.