Mathieu van der Poel at Strade Bianche 2020 (Photo by Tim de Waele/Getty Images)
Mathieu van der Poel has played down his chances at Strade Bianche, which at the very least should strike fear into the hearts of his rivals, saying real climbers stand a much better prospect of victory.
"I agree to a certain extent that people see me as one of the favourites," Van der Poel said the day before the race in Siena. "Although I believe that the parcours fits slightly better to the real climbers. On the other hand, Van Aert, for example, has already proven that a classics rider can also win this race. But there will be a lot of strong competitors at the start. I expect an open battle."
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