TakeWorlds3 weeks ago
Asked if the 174km solo gave him confidence for Montréal, van der Poel didn't reach for endurance or grit. «I hope so. I had incredible legs today,» he said. That's not a rider bracing for a climbers' course — it's one telling them he can still make it his kind of race.
Days earlier van der Poel had called the Montréal circuit "a little too difficult for me," pointing to its repeated climbing demands. The Luxembourg stage carried over 3,000m of elevation itself, and he rode 174 of its 177km alone — not surviving it, winning by more than a minute. He's also two kilograms lighter than in spring, a change he says shows on climbs. Put together, that's not a rider conceding the terrain to Evenepoel, Del Toro or Seixas — it's one signaling he can turn their course into a power contest.
Sources
'This wasn't the plan': Mathieu van der Poel reveals 'incredible legs' after stunning 175km solo before Worlds'A little too difficult for me' – Mathieu van der Poel plays down his World Championships chancesMathieu van der Poel launches monster 175km solo in final Worlds test at Tour de Luxembourg'That was not the plan' - Mathieu Van der Poel flies to 174km solo victory in final World Championships tune-up
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