His Dutch coach, Koos Moerenhout, insists he sees the rider in the same condition as last year when he won the rainbow jersey. "He is healthy, strong and it is a question of confidence and experience," he told WielerFlits.

Sunday, 21 July, he will conclude his participation in the Tour de France after three weeks of competition, during which he will complete his preparations for Paris 2024. This year he has not spent much energy on breakaways and has concentrated on working with his teammate Jasper Philipsen, one of the fastest riders in the peloton.

His Dutch national team coach, Koos Moerenhout, told WielerFlits that he sees the champion in perfect form. "I can see that he is improving, which is very positive," he said. "I can't feel his legs or his body. However, from a distance it looks similar to last year. We know that last year there was a plan for a very good World Championship. We hope it will be the same this time."

Van der Poel triumphed over all the favourites for the 2023 world championships in Glasgow. He outpaced all his rivals with a fierce attack. Neither Van Aert nor Pogacar could match the Dutchman's feat of winning both the road and cyclocross world championships in the same year. It is a feat that few can achieve. That is why all eyes will be on him in Paris 2024.

Moerenhout was pleased. He had seen during these days of competition in the Tour that, although it is not his speciality, the cyclist knows how to handle the high mountain stages. "Mathieu himself knows that these stages are quite difficult for him to win. But he is there and he is doing it in a good way. This shows that he is definitely growing and finding the right moments to take further steps," he said.

There is no doubt that when he had to work as a lead-out man for Philipsen, he did it very well. What makes the coach optimistic is that he is finally seeing Van der Poel in the same form he was in when he won the 2023 World Championship.

"The feedback I am getting is good. There is no need for a lot of contact with Mathieu himself. It is a question of trust and also the experience of the last few years. He did not mark the Olympic Games for nothing, as he did at the World Championships before", he said.

"I also see that his body language is positive," said Moerenhout to Wieler-Flits. The Dutch rider has not been ill, is healthy and very strong. "Several records have been broken at TrainingPeaks. This shows that he is doing well and is healthy and fit. He is clearly making progress. He can really look forward to the Games with confidence," he said.

Van der Poel will be up against the likes of Pogacar, who was unbeatable in 2024, and Van Aert, who has not been at his usual level this year. However, they are not the only ones. Evenepoel, in his first year at the Tour, has been fighting for the podium and winning stages. The Belgian will also be one of the favourites, despite only being 23 years old.

Everyone wants to succeed Richard Carapaz as Olympic champion. The Ecuadorian has had an outstanding Tour de France, winning a stage, leading the general classification and taking the King of the Mountains award. Carapaz will not be competing in Paris 2024. He was not selected by his national federation, Ecuador.