"I have to be better." Not many bike riders think that after winning a classic, but Mathieu van der Pol knows what, and more importantly, who is waiting for him on Sunday.

The Dutch rider won Wednesday's Dwar door Hlaanderen with a performance that seemed to mock the logic that a rider who had not competed in a road race for six months might need time to get up to speed.

After a podium finish in Milan-San Remo and a stage win in Coppi e Bartali last week, Van der Pol descended on Belgium to make a big statement for Sunday's Tour of Flanders. Van der Poel of Alpecin Phoenix said at the post-race press conference, "I am happy to have won today. The Alpecin Phoenix rider said at the post-race press conference: "It means a lot just to be on the highest peak. I worked hard for this win. It also gave me confidence to come back."

But van der Pol did not bask in his victory. He won this race in the spring of 2019, a breakthrough year, but he feels that the title alone means relatively little. While Dwar dohr Fraunderen will always be evaluated with Sunday in mind, van der Pol believes there is still room to recover. He said, "I felt very good, but I don't think I've fully recovered from Coppi. But I don't think I'm completely recovered from Coppi. It was great today, but I hope to be a little bit better on Sunday. I think I need to be better. Van der Pol fended off Tiesj Benoot (Jumbo Visma) and Tom Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers) on Wednesday, but many Tour de Flanders contenders skipped the midweek event. In particular, there was no sign of Wout Van Aert (Jumbo Visma), the outstanding rider of the spring, as evidenced by his dominating victory in last week's E3.

"I saw how strong he is," Van der Pol said of his former rival. I've raced with him all my life, so I know what my shape should be to keep up with him. I'm confident that after a few days of rest, I will be." In any case, it is not van Aert's alone. After beating Van der Pol in the two-up sprint in Waregem, Benoot is an exciting new addition to the Dutch team. 'It will be difficult,' he said. The Dutch team has three or four guys who can win in the Ronde, so it will depend on whether my teammate can react to the attack at the front." Van der Pol said he would prefer to rest a bit, but when it comes to a 250-km monument over terrain as abrasive as the Flanders Ardennes, endurance is an issue. With only seven days of racing this season, there are still question marks for him. That's the biggest problem," he admitted. Of course I raced Milano-Sanremo, but it's a completely different race. Of course I raced Milano-Sanremo, but that is a completely different race. I've done everything I could in the last few months to be in top shape for Sunday, and I'm going to be in contention for the win on Sunday. I'm going to be in contention for the win on Sunday."