Van der Poel goes on a diet and has modified his training to seek an opportunity in the World Championship

This weekend, Van der Poel is in Limburg to compete in the European Road Championship and from there he has given some clues about his preparation for the World Championship.

Van der Poel loses weight and modifies his training for the World Championship

A few days ago, Van der Poel made some statements in which he resigned and assured that these would be his last days with the rainbow jersey. But behind closed doors, the Dutchman seems to be doing everything in his power to have a chance to defend his title.

This is how he explained it to the press on Friday from the European Championship in Limburg:

"I am already working on the World Championship"..."It will be difficult to defend my title, but we will try."

"We are trying to be a little lighter than in the spring. That is important. As well as adding some longer training sessions, since the World Championship will be a long race. There is a small chance, but the course of the race is very decisive. I am not one of the favorites on that course, but that might give me some opportunity."

Remember that the route of the World Championship in Zurich is 273.9 km spread over 7 laps of a 27 km circuit with an almost 2 km climb and another of just 500m. Undoubtedly, it is a more suitable route for cyclists like Evenepoel or Pogacar, but we will see if Van der Poel is in a position to surprise.

"It is a very beautiful and respected jersey in the peloton. My season with the rainbow jersey has been better than I could have ever expected. The Tour of Flanders - Paris-Roubaix double is something I am still proud of. I would have signed up for that in advance."

Regarding the knee pain that forced him to withdraw from the Renewi Tour a few days ago, Van der Poel assures that it should not be a problem for the upcoming races:

"The days after, I felt quite a bit of pain and had quite a few problems on the bike""We made the smart decision not to push it. I have had some knee injuries in the past. I felt it wasn't very serious, but also that it wasn't very smart to keep riding. When I started riding again after two days of rest, I felt much better immediately."

Next Sunday, Van der Poel will compete in the European Championship alongside the Netherlands and if he doesn't make any definitive moves during the race, he will try to help his teammate, sprinter Olav Kooij, in the final part.