Mathieu van der Poel is aware of a factor or two in regards to the style, however even he couldn’t fairly imagine what he was seeing as Tadej Pogačar soloed to a crushing victory on the Highway World Championships in Zürich.
On arriving within the press room on Sunday night, Van der Poel may solely smile when the query arrived. Pogačar’s exhibition, the Dutchman conceded, had been in a special register even to the exceptional lone effort that had carried him to the rainbow jersey in Glasgow final 12 months.
“I went a bit later than Pogačar… It’s troublesome to explain how sturdy he’s,” mentioned Van der Poel, who gained the dash for the bronze medal on a demanding course that almost all would have positioned in direction of the higher restrict of his capabilities on this terrain.
Van der Poel had struck a notably upbeat tone on arriving at his Worlds base in Wetzikon through the week, buoyed by a string of sturdy shows on the Tour of Luxembourg. He evinced quiet confidence that he may defend his title, even when he was keenly conscious that Pogačar and Remco Evenepoel had been the apparent favourites.
That considering absolutely guided Van der Poel’s method when Pogačar careered onto the offensive with 100km nonetheless to race. At that exact second, Van der Poel discovered himself subsequent to his generally coaching accomplice Evenepoel, they usually each deemed it finest to hope Pogačar punched himself out moderately than reply instantly with blows of their very own.
“I noticed him going, however my plan was to attempt to save as a lot power as doable,” Van der Poel mentioned. “I believe that’s usually the important thing to World Championships, to save lots of your power. When Belgium took management, I actually thought they had been going to shut it. However I believe ultimately, Tadej was simply too sturdy for everyone.
“I’m fairly positive in the event you ask Tadej, I don’t assume that assault was his plan both. He was actually sturdy, however when he went, I didn’t assume he would make it, particularly when Belgium was taking management, however he proved us all unsuitable.
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“I believed he was throwing away his possibilities for a world champion’s jersey, as a result of the state of affairs was not best for him at that second and his workforce was not likely in a position to take management. I believed it was extra a little bit of a panic assault, however he was simply so sturdy he may make it work till the top.”
No Lombardia
After bridging as much as the break within the firm of his Slovenian teammate Jan Tratnik, Pogačar cast clear along with his UAE Crew Emirates companion Pavel Sivakov (France). Pogačar was alone for the ultimate 52km, whereas Van der Poel discovered himself with Evenepoel in a choose however not fully cohesive chasing group.
On the ultimate lap, the chasers briefly drew coronary heart when Pogačar’s lead started to contract, however he would draw back as soon as extra within the ultimate 15km, consigning Van der Poel, et al, to race for second place. Ben O’Connor (Australia) clipped away for silver within the finale, whereas Van der Poel emphatically gained the dash for bronze forward of Toms Skujins (Latvia), Evenepoel and Marc Hirschi (Switzerland).
“I believe the smallest hole we noticed on the board was 36 seconds and we thought Tadej was a bit on the top of his powers, however the subsequent time it was 45 seconds, so we realised he was accelerating once more,” mentioned Van der Poel, who in the end got here in just below a minute down on Pogačar.
“I did considered one of my finest performances ever, really, so I may be actually pleased with it. There was only one rider who was distinctive, however in the event you take him away, I used to be virtually using for the world title, so I believe I may be very pleased with my bronze medal.”
Van der Poel’s stage of efficiency on this firm and on this terrain will inevitably invite hypothesis about his future prospects at races like Liège-Bastogne-Liège and Il Lombardia. He already positioned third in Liège this 12 months, in spite of everything, and that show got here on the finish of an extended Classics marketing campaign that had been centred on the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix.
“For positive, I used to be trying round and I solely noticed climbers in my group, however a one-day race is all the time one thing else,” Van der Poel mentioned. “I believe my major purpose stays the identical. Flanders and Roubaix are the place my coronary heart is, and I don’t wish to give it up. It’s my terrain and I don’t wish to give it as much as attempt to win Liège or Lombardia.”
Certainly, Van der Poel dismissed stories that he would line out at Il Lombardia in two weeks’ time, with the Gravel World Championships the one race left on his calendar earlier than ideas flip to his cyclocross marketing campaign.
“I don’t know the place this data got here from,” he mentioned. “I solely do gravel subsequent week.”
The Pogačar Period
As soon as Van der Poel had recovered from his dash on the shore of Lake Zurich, he made his means in direction of the scrum round Pogačar to supply his congratulations to the person who had simply divested him of the rainbow jersey. He smiled when requested what he had mentioned.
“I advised him that he’s loopy. I do know him already for some time now, and we get alongside fairly good,” Van der Poel mentioned. “For me it’s good when the very best rider is world champion. He’s the very best rider in the meanwhile, so it’s good that he wears the jersey.”
Final 12 months, Van der Poel delivered one of many biggest athletic performances of his profession on the Tour of Flanders solely to be crushed into second place by an unassailable Pogačar. In Oudenaarde that night, he had accepted the defeat with good grace, admitting that such disappointments had been merely a actuality of racing in what he known as ‘the Pogačar period’.
Requested how lengthy that period would proceed, Van der Poel may solely supply a shrug of resignation.
“No thought, however it looks like it’s only the start,” he mentioned. “He’s stronger than ever, I’d say.”
On Sunday’s proof, who may disagree?
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