“Pointless” 30kph speed limit on key climb sees pre-race favourite Mathieu van der Poel skip Olympic road race recon

It turns out that British time triallists aren’t the only bike racers affected by local councils implementing lowered speed limits in towns and cities on safety grounds – world champion Mathieu van der Poel opted to forgo yesterday’s organised mass reconnaissance of the finishing circuit of Saturday’s Olympic road race, arguing that he “didn’t see the point” of adhering to the 30kph speed limit imposed on the riders by the race organisers during the closed roads session.

Dutch star Van der Poel, the big favourite for gold on the Parisien city centre circuit tomorrow, instead chose to train at his base an hour and a half away from the French capital yesterday afternoon, as some of his biggest rivals, including Wout van Aert, Remco Evenepoel, and Julian Alaphilippe, inspected first-hand the iconic Montmartre climb, which will likely prove pivotal in deciding both the men’s and women’s races this weekend.

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The men’s Olympic road race is set to take place tomorrow over a 273km course featuring a series of short, sharp climbs and a total elevation of 2,800m.

Julian Alaphilippe, in resurgent form ahead of his home Olympic Games, tests out the Butte Montmartre (Zac Williams/SWpix.com)

Not only does the punchy parcours and monument-length distance lend itself to the peloton’s classics specialists, the finishing city centre circuit includes three ascents, including one just 10km from the line, of the Butte Montmarte, the famous – and most importantly, cobbled – hill that sits high above Paris’ 18th arrondissement, its summit home to the tourist-laden Basilica of Sacré-Cœur.

At one kilometre-long, 6.5 per cent average gradient, and lined with cobbles, it’s no surprise that – despite the potentially anarchic nature of the small, 90-rider peloton and maximum four-rider teams – Saturday’s race in the mid-summer heat of Paris is expected to suit those riders who thrive on the cold, rainy bergs of Flanders, such as Van der Poel, Van Aert, Mads Pedersen, and maybe, just maybe double Olympic mountain bike champion Tom Pidcock.

(Zac Williams/SWpix.com)

In order to let those riders get to grips with the almost-certainly gold medal-deciding climb of Montmartre, the organisers closed the circuit to traffic on Thursday afternoon between 4pm and 6pm. However, there was a catch – the organisers told the riders that they had to take on the circuit in one large group, while staying within the 30kph speed limit currently in place on the road for motorists.

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Of course, not everyone adhered to this advice. The all-powerful Belgian team, including Van der Poel’s long-time adversary Wout van Aert and newly minted Tour de France podium finisher and Olympic time trial champion Remco Evenepoel, chose to ride the finishing circuit away from the main group, as did Polish duo Marta Lach and Kasia Niewiadoma, one of the favourites for Sunday’s women’s race.

(Zac Williams/SWpix.com)

Van der Poel, meanwhile, didn’t even bother travelling to Paris, instead opting for a training ride close to his base 90 minutes away from the French capital.

“I don’t think it’s useful at all,” this year’s Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix winner told Dutch newspaper AD about the speed limit imposed on the riders during their recon.

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“It only makes sense to do a higher racing speed. I don’t see the point in doing it like this – we will tackle the Montmartre climb several times in the race and I will see it directly there. Then I don’t think it’s worth the effort to travel there for an hour and a half. I’d rather choose a training session here and my rest.

“Of course I would have preferred to see it myself, but those are the considerations. But I certainly have a good idea. There are a lot of videos and the national coach gives us all the information. Normally that climb should suit me well. The ambition to win here is very big.”

 (Zac Williams/SWpix.com)

Van der Poel, who after a quiet Tour de France has trained in Belgium to build on the “intensive and explosive” power needed to win on the punchy Paris circuit, noted that his build-up to the Olympics is similar to his preparations for last year’s triumphant world championships in Glasgow, which were also held in early August, just after the end of the Tour.

“Unconsciously, you are doing the same thing,” he said. “Tour and then preparing for the big goal of the year. But of course it gives no guarantees. I feel very good and have done everything I had to do.”

Except for recce the finishing circuit, that is…