After a two-week break following Tirreno-Adriatico, Mathieu van der Pol will return to racing at the Binkbank Tour on Tuesday.
The Dutchman, who won the final stage in Tirreno, will be one of the favorites to win the five-day race in Belgium and the Netherlands.
Van der Pol (Alpecin Phoenix) missed the road world championships in Imola, opting for the Bink Bank Tour rather than head to La Flèche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège in Wallonia before the cobbled classics in October.
"I fit in well with the schedule now," Van der Pol told Het Nieuwsblad (opens in new tab) before the race start in Blankenberge.
"I have to choose between the Walloon Classic and the Bink Bank Tour. I think the Bink Bank Tour is a better preparation for the Flanders Classic. After all, it's a multi-day race."
He added that he did not regret not competing in the World Championships, claiming that the course was too difficult to contend for the Rainbow Stripe, which was eventually won by Julien Alaphilippe (Detuninck-Quickstep) after an attack on the final hill.
"I think it was a good decision not to go to the World Championships. 'I was quick to turn the knob. I think it was a good decision not to go to the World Championships. It's always difficult not to go to the Worlds, but I was able to finish my training the way I wanted to. I think I'm at 100% right now."
Van der Pol's Alpecin Phoenix team will again focus on the stage wins that the Dutchman and teammate Tim Merlier achieved twice in Tirreno.
Van der Pol's chances of winning the overall will depend on the 11km time trial in Vlissingen on stage 2, the hilly course to Sittard-Geleen on stage 4, and the "Flanderslite" course to Geraardsbergen on the final stage.
"As a team, our first goal is to win a stage," Van der Pol said. 'A lot depends on the time trial in Vlissingen. If we have a good time trial, we can compete in the final class. The weather could be a factor, but the time trial will be decisive.
The "Golden Kilometer" sprint (three intermediate sprints over a 1km section, each with a 3-second bonus time) will be held again this year and will be another factor in determining the overall winner.
Van der Pol said that what happens in these sprints depends on the race conditions at the moment, and for Alpecin Phoenix, Mellier, which is highly regarded by the team leaders, is an option.
"The race situation will have a little bit of an impact. I would like to be in the sprint [like Tim Mellier]. For me, he is one of the fastest sprinters in the world. At least he believes so himself."
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