"I haven't had fries in a long time, no": Van der Poel is ready for World Championships, and here’s the evidence

He knows his chances aren’t huge, but you can be sure that defending champion Mathieu van der Poel will give everything he’s got on Sunday to keep his rainbow jersey for another year. The Dutchman starts in Zürich as one of the favorites but knows he faces tough competition from the likes of Remco Evenepoel and Tadej Pogacar.

Pogacar held his press conference on Thursday evening, where he was, of course, asked about his thoughts on Van der Poel’s chances. "Mathieu is in great form, and he’s honored the rainbow jersey with some amazing victories. Sunday will be a different race, with more climbing. I’ve heard he’s lost about a kilo and a half and prepared well, so we’ll definitely keep him in mind. If he has a good day, he’ll be up there."

The next morning, it was Evenepoel's turn, who had recently logged some miles in Spain with his Dutch friend Van der Poel. "The last time I rode with him, two or three weeks ago, he wasn’t doing so well," the Belgian said with a smile. "But he’s the kind of rider who knows how to peak at the right time, so those two or three weeks including the Tour of Luxembourg will have done him good. Of course, he is a bit heavier than Tadej and me, so he’ll have to carry that weight up each climb, which could be a small disadvantage."

Van der Poel had his press conference on Friday evening. Coincidentally, he was staying in the same hotel as his Belgian rival, in Wetzikon, just northeast of Zürich, where both the Belgian and Dutch federations have set up camp to prepare for Sunday’s road race in Switzerland.

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Mathieu van der Poel’s press conference ahead of the World Championships

Naturally, the conversation also touched on the tragic death of Muriel Furrer, the 18-year-old Swiss rider who died on Friday after a crash in the junior women’s road race. "It’s clear that we’re not doing well as a sport. I think it’s easy to point fingers, but as a sport, we need to think more about safety. It’s unfortunate that something always has to happen before anything changes. But it’s also the speed we race at, the fighting for positions — things like that make it dangerous."

Shifting the conversation back to the upcoming race wasn’t easy. "It’s a tough course, I knew that before I got here. The recon confirmed that, but it could still go in different directions." German giant Niklas Behrens won Friday’s rain-soaked U23 road race, but Van der Poel doesn’t draw many conclusions from that. "I think it’s hard to compare races. With the pros, you often see a more controlled race."

What did he take away from his recon ride? "I hadn’t looked at it in detail before, but the cumulative climbs will take their toll. After the recon, I’d say it’s realistic that I’m not the top favorite, but as the defending champion, I want to do my best. But they’re not just going to let me ride without keeping an eye out," he acknowledged.

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Van der Poel is two kilos lighter — that's four  full water bottles

Knowing that Pogacar, Evenepoel and other strong riders are at the start doesn’t make things any easier for Van der Poel. "But it’s possible," he said determinedly. "If we all just say Tadej is going to win, we might as well hand him the jersey now. We’re going to fight for it, but they’d also be worthy champions."

Van der Poel keeps in touch with the other two, but he can’t quite remember the last time he saw Pogacar. "That must have been a while ago. I’ve spoken with Remco regularly in Spain, though. Did he say I couldn’t keep up with him? Then he was messing around, I think," Van der Poel said with a wide grin.

"Many countries will make it difficult for them by isolating them. Will I do that? It depends on how the race goes, but it has to lead to something. There’s no point in being 30 seconds ahead of the peloton if I don’t have a super day," said the Dutchman, who did two laps during his recon ride on Friday.

Naturally, the topic of weight came up again. Van der Poel confirmed he’s lost two kilos — the equivalent of four full water bottles — mainly by eating less. "It wasn’t that extreme, I didn’t do it for a long period. After the Olympics, I made some changes, but nothing too strict. I just tried to pay a bit more attention. I’ve always eaten healthily, but now it’s more about portion sizes."

The Alpecin-Deceuninck rider hasn’t indulged in anything unhealthy for a while. "I haven’t had fries in a long time, no," he said with a smile, illustrating his disciplined approach.