Mathieu van der Poel still struggles with finger injury: "An annoying setback"

The key question before the start of the E3 Saxo Classic: how is Mathieu van der Poel's finger? Before the classic begins, MVDP himself explains that the pain still flares up.

"It's still an annoying injury. Well, injury might be too strong a word, but it's not very pleasant to ride with. Not too bad, but still a bit bothersome. Fortunately, it's manageable. It will take some time for the injury to heal—I have a hole in the nail, so that still needs to grow back," he says in front of our camera.

Van der Poel has one key point in the race in mind. "The Taaienberg is often where the race breaks open. Today is no different. For me, Mads Pedersen is the biggest competitor. He was already very strong in Milan-San Remo."

"Hopefully, we'll have a great race, with a good result for me. We always aim for victory; that's the goal today," concludes the top favorite.