Mathieu van der Poel has kept a low profile in the build-up to the Tour of Flanders, recovering from a cold, recovering from the efforts of his victory at the E3 Saxo Classic and avoiding the hype and expectation that always reaches a crescendo for the Ronde.
While long-time rival Wout van Aert suffered defeat at Dwars door Vlaanderen and a wave of criticism about his tactical decisions, van der Poel has enjoyed a quiet week, training in Belgium and preparing for the expected showdown with Tadej Pogačar.
