(Paris) Absent from the peloton since his victory in the last Paris-Roubaix, Mathieu van der Poel must resume competition on Saturday with a view to the Tour de France (July 1-23) where he will “try to win a stage” and ” prepare for the Worlds, “he explained Monday during an internship in La Plagne.
“The objective is to try to win a stage in the Tour. It’s always a good thing. And the other objective is obviously to arrive in the best possible shape in Paris and to try to prepare for the Worlds”, detailed during a press video conference the winner of the Milan-Sanremo and Paris-Roubaix monuments this season.
Specific to this year, the road race for the Worlds is scheduled for August 6, just two weeks after the arrival of the Tour de France, due to the organization of the World Championships for all disciplines in Glasgow.
“Normally, I will also do the MTB Worlds (cross-country) the week after the road ones,” said the Dutchman currently on an altitude course in La Plagne. “But I won’t have any specific preparation. I will go without any pressure. »
“MVDP” has not pinned a bib for almost two months and its coronation in the Roubaix velodrome on April 9.
The one-day race, through Hageland on Saturday in Belgium, should be the scene of its resumption before the Tour of Belgium (June 14-18) then the Dutch Championship (June 25), its last outings before the Great loop that he intends to complete, a year after his retirement during the 11th stage for his first participation.
“Paris is the last stop before the Worlds, described the grandson of Raymond Poulidor. It is time to finish the Tour, which is why I have prepared so well this year. I want to do a good Tour, like the Giro last year. »
Mathieu van der Poel won a stage and wore the pink jersey on Italian roads.
To perfect his preparation, the leader of the Alpecin team shunned this year the Critérium du Dauphiné and the Tour de Suisse, the two preparation races favored by most of the peloton for the Big Loop.
“I prefer to give everything to try to win a stage in Belgium, he justified, rather than being in the gruppetto of a mountain stage in Switzerland. »