World Cup 2021: Mathieu van der Poel leader of the Dutch selection, decided after next weekend
Tuesday, September 14, 2021 at 9:26 PM
Mathieu van der Poel has been definitively included in the Dutch selection for the World Cycling Championships in Flanders by national coach Koos Moerenhout. However, the leader will only decide after next weekend, when he has completed the Primus Classic (Saturday) and the Gooikse Pijl (Sunday), whether he will start definitively.
In addition to Mathieu van der Poel, Dylan van Baarle, Bauke Mollema, Mike Teunissen, Sebastian Langeveld, Oscar Riesebeek, Danny van Poppel and Pascal Eenkhoorn have been called up for the road race on Sunday 26 September. Jos van Emden is the only Dutch participants in the World Time Trial Championships on September 19, Moerenhout is not calling for a replacement for the injured Tom Dumoulin.
In addition to Dumoulin, Niki Terpstra, Taco van der Hoorn, Fabio Jakobsen, Ide Schelling, Nils Eekhoff, Ramon Sinkeldam, Cees Bol and Dutch champion Timo Roosen are also missing. The KNWU has announced that no reserve has yet been designated by Moerenhout. The former pro will point out those reserves later.
Moerenhout: “Good hope that Mathieu can drive”
“The selection is not yet one hundred percent final,” says Moerenhout on the KNWU website. “But Mathieu van der Poel’s experiences over the past weekend are so positive that we are hopeful that he can drive. Mathieu will have to weigh up after the weekend whether his back can handle the load and whether he can do the necessary training work for the World Cup.”
“Of course it makes a difference if he can be there in good condition, because then he will be considered a favorite by many. We have more riders who can play on this terrain for a long time, but with Mathieu there, of course, we have more pronounced chances of a good result,” said the national coach.
Selection of the Netherlands for the 2021 World Cycling Championships
Away course elite men
Dylan van Baarle Pascal Unicorn Sebastian Langeveld Bauke Mollema Mathieu van der Poel Danny van Poppel Oscar Riesebeek Mike Teunissen
Elite men’s time trial Jos van Emden
The Netherlands does not designate a second time trialist
Mixed Relay Team Time Trial Koen Bouwman Jos van Emden Bauke Mollema
