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Mathieu van der Poel is simply days away from a very powerful aim of his winter, his doubtless victory on the UCI Cyclocross World Championships in Tábor on Sunday. He claimed his first elite rainbow jersey in the identical city in 2015 over Wout van Aert, and 9 years and 5 extra ‘cross world titles later, Van der Poel is best than ever, having gained all however one race he is accomplished this season.
After his twelfth win of the season on the UCI Cyclocross World Cup in Hoogerheide, Van der Poel recalled that first victory as a second in time that also stands out in his reminiscence.
He and Van Aert determined to race the elites as a substitute of the under-23s only a week earlier than the race. Van Aert was beset with mechanical issues within the opening laps in Tábor in 2015 and Van der Poel soloed to the victory. “It was a turning level in our careers for each of us,” Van der Poel mentioned within the post-race press convention in Hoogerheide.
“The end was fairly emotional,” he mentioned, and when requested if it in contrast along with his Road World Championships victory in Glasgow final yr, he mentioned, “Equalling [Tábor in 2015] now’s tough. The primary time is commonly the most effective.”
Van der Poel has acknowledged from the beginning of his marketing campaign that his solely aim was one other world title in cyclocross, and he’s the overwhelming favorite. However the World Cup in Benidorm confirmed that incidents like crashes can break this ambition.
“It is at all times doable, but when I do not win in Tábor, I can not name it a profitable winter,” he mentioned, including he would not fear about shedding. “I have been in that scenario a number of instances lately. Previously, I may need dwelled on that, however now I do not. I additionally did every little thing I needed to do, there’s nothing extra to vary that. We are going to see. I will not be nervous anymore both. And that, in flip, will convey some peace of thoughts.”
The race would be the finish of his ‘cross season as he turns his focus to the highway, the place he’ll defend his title in Paris-Roubaix and check out for a 3rd win within the Tour of Flanders. Whereas Van Aert and Tom Pidcock opted to overlook Worlds and deal with their preparation for the highway season, Van der Poel admitted that ‘cross may not be your best option for coaching for the highway.
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In 2023, Van der Poel had his most profitable yr after a shorter seven-race ‘cross marketing campaign, profitable Milan-San Remo and Paris-Roubaix, and taking second within the Tour of Flanders and E3 Saxo Traditional, and he weighed the deserves of his cyclocross pursuits.
“I do not suppose it actually provides worth in direction of the spring. Above all, I would like the world title. The opposite crosses are now not targets in themselves. It isn’t the best coaching for spring – you are higher off with 5 or 6 hours of endurance coaching than using for an hour at breakneck pace,” Van der Poel mentioned.
Requested if he would race ‘cross once more subsequent season, he mentioned, “I will have to consider that and see,” including that stopping after a seventh title is likely to be good. “First elite world title in cyclocross in 2015, now once more in Tábor. It might be full circle, however I do not know but. That also must be checked out.”
If he does stop, do not blame the unruly followers who abused him throughout his varied solo victories this season. “I do not embrace that in my consideration. If I like doing it, I will hold doing it.”
Van der Poel has lengthy prioritised his private enjoyment of the self-discipline over marginal beneficial properties elsewhere. “That is why I nonetheless do it. However … every now and then, a winter with out [‘cross] may also be good, a winter of psychological relaxation every now and then.”
It is nearly not possible to imagine however Van der Poel did not give highway racing a lot consideration past being a solution to keep match in the summertime till 2018.
“I did not suppose then that I’d ever discover highway races necessary. I by no means thought of it – it did not even actually curiosity me. After I grew to become Dutch highway champion in Hoogerheide, then I made a decision to experience a spring on the highway as nicely.”
His deal with the highway was not solely profitable for him, but additionally helped his staff flip right into a Professional Continental squad for the 2019 highway season, a requirement so he might race the Spring Classics, and, after three enormously profitable seasons, they joined the WorldTour in 2023.
It paid off, too. In 2019, he gained a memorable Amstel Gold Race together with Brabantse Pijl, GP de Denain, Dwars door Vlaanderen, and completed simply off the rostrum within the Tour of Flanders.
Will Van der Poel’s cyclocross profession go down in historical past as bookended by world titles in Tábor? That is determined by a number of components, most notably the riders attempting to deprive him of the victory.
Van der Poel’s closest opponents this yr except for Van Aert and Pidcock, who is not going to race this weekend, have come from inside his Dutch staff. He named two Belgians as his greatest rivals, Michael Vanthourenhout and Thibau Nys.
His win was marginally much less dominant than earlier ones – he gained by just a few seconds over Dutchmen Joris Nieuwenhuis and Pim Ronhaar after Nys slid out within the final lap, however mentioned that is not an indicator of anybody’s kind.
“Every week earlier than will not be the reference for the world championships. That by no means means something for the legs on the championship itself. However I’m assured that I dealt with it nicely in direction of Tábor. I wasn’t at my greatest [in Hoogerheide], however that is due to the arduous coaching over the previous few weeks.
“If I’ve accomplished every little thing accurately and we expect so – I already had an excellent winter – usually we should always see the most effective model of myself subsequent week. That is what everybody who begins there needs.
“I used to be ready for every little thing. And ideally, I’d have favored a troublesome mud cross but it surely will not be that both. However I feel I’ve already proved that I can deal with all surfaces. I’m ready for something, in addition to for a tactical race. Though it is simpler if I can do my very own factor. But when I’m not alone after two or three laps, I’ll actually not panic.”
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