Mathieu van der Poel seemed almost certain to win the overall victory in the Renewi Tour. The Dutchman was virtually in the lead after the Green Kilometer, but Arnaud De Lie managed to save his blue jersey by beating MVDP in the final sprint. Van der Poel didn’t have his very best legs, but he was satisfied with his form, he said afterwards to VTM Nieuws.
“I went all-out for that first sprint, but then I was already at my limit,” Van der Poel reflected on the first sprint in the Green Kilometer, where he claimed three bonus seconds and jumped virtually ahead of De Lie in the overall standings. “On Friday in Geraardsbergen, I also noticed I was quite quickly at my limit.”
Still, Van der Poel has a good feeling about the Renewi Tour, which mainly served as preparation for the MTB World Championships in Crans Montana (September 14). “I’m positive about my form. This was exactly what I needed. The efforts I had to make in the finale were close to those in a mountain bike race.”
On Wednesday, Van der Poel heads to Les Gets, where he will contest the namesake MTB World Cup next Sunday. “I rode the mountain bike a few times beforehand to get used to that position; that’s the biggest adjustment for me. The technique will come naturally once I can ride on the course every day starting on Wednesday. I did the same in May leading up to Nove Mesto, but this time I hope to make it to the finish,” he referred to his crash in the Czech Republic that resulted in a minor wrist fracture.
Fitness Step Forward
Regarding the MTB World Championships, Van der Poel remains cautious in his ambitions. “I’ll start only from the fourth row, and in mountain biking the start is even more important than in cyclocross. The chance of becoming world champion is still very small after this week, but I do think I made a fitness difference this week. Now a few days of rest, and then Les Gets will be the real test.”
Mathieu van der Poel
