‘I did not have tremendous legs’ – Mathieu van der Poel nonetheless chasing World Championships type

Mathieu van der Poel made repeated makes an attempt to bend the European Championships street race to his will on Sunday, however the Dutchman’s aggression was ultimately snuffed out with 25km to go and the race resulted in a bunch dash.

Tim Merlier (Belgium) claimed the title forward of Van der Poel’s compatriot Olav Kooij, whereas the world champion needed to accept thirtieth place in considered one of his remaining outings within the rainbow jersey.

Although the Hasselt finale had attracted a number of sprinters to the European Championships, Van der Poel aimed to interrupt the race aside on the cobbles and hills of the Limburg circuit, and he started his offensive with over 100km nonetheless to race, bringing contenders like Mads Pedersen (Denmark) and Matteo Trentin (Italy) with him

“It was our tactical plan to attempt to make the race arduous there and to verify we all the time had somebody with us. We did that very nicely, I feel,” Van der Poel stated, in keeping with Het Laatste Nieuws.

“I did my factor on the street to the very best of my potential. But all the things backfired due to the sturdy Italian block, which we anticipated. They pulled all the things and all people again. Was it irritating? No, I knew beforehand that it could be very troublesome. It’s not one thing I’m bothered about.”

Yet even when there was an air of inevitability concerning the end result, Van der Poel was nonetheless railing towards these odds deep into the ultimate hour of racing. With 30km remaining, he was nonetheless off the entrance in a six-man group that included Pedersen and defending champion Christophe Laporte (France).

“There was an opportunity after all, so we believed in it,” Van der Poel stated. “But truthfully, I did not have tremendous legs myself. The hole wanted to be a bit larger to make it to the end.”

After Van der Poel’s assaults got here to an finish, the Dutch focus switched to Kooij, however he was outmatched by Merlier within the ending straight.

“Maybe we should always have led him out a bit higher,” Van der Poel stated. “But it was fairly hectic in that remaining kilometre, a protracted straight with a headwind.”

The race was Van der Poel’s first since he deserted the Renewi Tour forward of the ultimate stage two weeks in the past, and he’ll return to motion on the Tour of Luxembourg on Wednesday as he builds in direction of the defence of his street world title in Zurich on September 29.

Van der Poel loved a thunderous begin to his 2024 season, teeing up Jasper Philipsen for Milan-San Remo victory earlier than serving to himself to E3 Harelbeke, the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix, in addition to a third-place end at Liège-Bastogne-Liège.

The second section of Van der Poel’s marketing campaign has been much less profitable, although he performed a component in serving to Philipsen to a hat-trick of stage wins on the Tour de France. Van der Poel stays among the many high contenders for the Zurich Worlds, although Tadej Pogačar will certainly line out because the favorite after his exhibition on the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal on Sunday.

“This additional aggressive rhythm was welcome for me,” Van der Poel stated of his day trip on the European Championships. “The Tour of Luxembourg subsequent week will even do me good. And then it’s full throttle restoration in direction of Zurich.”