Mathieu Van der Poel presents himself at the Montreal World Championships as one of the main candidates for the rainbow jersey, which he already won in Glasgow in 2023. The Dutchman arrives at the appointment after an excellent season and with his condition confirmed by the extraordinary victory achieved in recent days at the Tour of Luxembourg, following a remarkable solo breakaway of 175 kilometers.

Yet, according to Van der Poel himself, the great favorite for Sunday's road race remains Remco Evenepoel. «For me, Remco is the number one favorite. You just have to look at his palmares: nobody prepares for the championships better than him - said the 31-year-old Dutchman -. He is especially strong in races of this distance and nobody knows how to ride solo as well as he does».

The two superstars crossed paths during the course reconnaissance. «We exchanged a few words. I wanted to congratulate him on his victory in Sunday's time trial», Van der Poel recounted. No comparison, however, between his breakaway in Luxembourg and the forty kilometers covered by Evenepoel in the time trial: «I believe they were equally impressive. And becoming world champion four times in a row is truly a unique achievement».

The Canadian course with 3,800 meters of elevation gain doesn't seem to fully suit the Dutchman's characteristics. The Côte Camillien-Houde climb, to be tackled twelve times, could favor lighter riders like Evenepoel, Paul Seixas, and Isaac Del Toro.

«It's a demanding circuit. Not impossible, but right at my limit, at my extreme limit», Van der Poel explained. To succeed, he will need a very hard race: «When everyone's power starts to fade, classics riders like me can get closer to pure climbers. I believe that's my strength: being able to maintain my watts even after a hard race».

Van der Poel doesn't hide the difficulties, however: «If I were to have a really excellent day, I would need to arrive at the top with the best group. But we're talking about twelve laps: there's a big difference between staying with the leaders once and doing it twelve times». In any case, the victory achieved with a 175-kilometer breakaway in Luxembourg gave important confirmations to the Dutch champion, especially after some difficult days.

«I was satisfied with the performance and the sensations I had. My condition is clearly good. I didn't even push beyond my limits. But obviously this doesn't guarantee success: Sunday will be a completely different story».

VdP also explained that he arrived at the Worlds at a similar weight to Zurich 2024, where he finished third: «In summer I'm generally leaner compared to spring. I eat a bit less, train a bit more and it happens naturally. How concrete is the possibility of winning? I'd say five percent, or something like that». An assessment that Van der Poel considers realistic, in light of the results obtained at the Grand Prix de Montréal, the classic that takes place every year on the same course: «In recent years that race has always been suited to lighter riders».

Among the most feared opponents, VdP especially cites the Belgian national team, plus Seixas and Del Toro: «The Belgian team is the strongest. Having a second captain (Van Aert, ed.) can be an advantage. I also consider France very strong and I wouldn't underestimate the Americans. But a World Championship is often chaotic, especially because radios aren't allowed. And if you've already won it, it's always a bit easier to make decisions during the race».

Van der Poel therefore believes in his chances of winning a second rainbow jersey in the road race, but knows that a perfect race will be needed. «It could very well be my last chance. Also because I probably won't compete in many other World Championships», he concluded.