Dutch cyclist Bart Lemmen prepares to support Mathieu van der Poel at the men’s road world championships in Montreal, balancing a recent WorldTour victory with a demanding travel schedule and a disciplined training routine.
A Tactical Asset on the Second Row for the Dutch Squad
As the international peloton gathers for the men’s road world championships, external analysts frequently view the Dutch team through the singular lens of Mathieu van der Poel’s undeniable status as a race favorite. Observers outside the Netherlands often discount the supporting roster. Yet within the orange camp, Bart Lemmen offers a powerful engine capable of deep finales.
Lemmen enters the world championship circuit following a breakthrough performance weeks prior at the Tour de Pologne, where he secured his maiden WorldTour victory. That success prompted Visma | Lease a Bike to award the rider a three-year contract extension. Rather than remaining in North America following appearances at the Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec and the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal, Lemmen chose a transatlantic round trip.
Balancing Home Recovery and Jet Lag Mitigation
Opting out of an extended North American stay, Lemmen flew back to Europe before returning to Canada for the world championship events. The decision rested on both personal and professional factors. With a ten-month-old daughter at home, the Dutch rider weighed the heavy travel demands of the professional calendar against the necessity of high-quality preparation.
“I was actually scheduled to do the Tour of Guangxi in October as well, but that’s not going to happen now,” Lemmen explained. “And we have a 10-month-old daughter, whom I’m already away from a lot. Of course, we are away a lot anyway, but I also felt I could train even better at home.”
While Montreal sits roughly a seven-hour direct flight from the Netherlands, Lemmen emphasized the performance benefits of familiar training routes and domestic nutrition. To counter the time difference, the Visma | Lease a Bike rider adopted a strict pre-race sleep schedule. Falling asleep by 8:45 p.m. and waking between 5:00 and 6:00 a.m. aligned smoothly with the early start schedule for Sunday’s race, which requires the Dutch delegation on the start podium near 8:30 a.m. local time.
High-Speed Hazards and a Brutal Montreal Course
Lemmen’s return to Montreal arrives shortly after a high-speed crash during his previous racing appearance in the city two weeks prior. Clarifying the incident, Lemmen noted that he avoided a direct heavy impact by landing largely on his hands and feet after riders ahead went down. Despite the velocity of the pileup, he escaped with minimal physical consequences.
That resilience will be tested on a circuit Lemmen describes as an unrelenting elimination race. Having experienced the tactical demands of the world championships previously in Zürich—where he acknowledged he lacked optimal form and struggled with the absence of race radio earpieces—the Dutch rider understands the unforgiving nature of championship racing.
“It’s really an elimination race,” Lemmen said of the Montreal circuit. “There is an incredible amount of climbing, and it all follows each other very quickly. There is little rest, so you are constantly in the red. Charging and sprinting back up, but on that long climb through the park, your legs really do fill up.”
He noted that the long climb transitions directly into a straight descent where headwinds can allow dropped riders to regain contact, while subsequent ascents compound the physical fatigue.
Supporting Van Der Poel Through the Finale
Within the team hierarchy, Lemmen defines his objective clearly: to advance as far into the finale as possible and shelter Van der Poel. While recognizing that he does not match the explosive output profiles of young talents like Paul Seixas or Isaac del Toro, Lemmen aims to deploy his durability for his designated leader.
Asked about Van der Poel’s prospects, Lemmen dismissed the notion that the Dutch star could be discounted. “He is simply a contender because he is Mathieu,” Lemmen said. “You know he can do crazy things. About a rider like that, you just can’t say that he has no chance. It’s Mathieu, after all, he’s crazy. And it was the same in Zürich, but then he still almost became world champion.”
Lemmen added that the internal dynamic within the Dutch national team remains relaxed, characterized by shared meals and lighthearted banter among teammates preparing for Sunday’s start.
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