Mathieu van der Poel of Alpecin de Seuninck will participate in his first cyclocross event of the season this weekend in Hulst.

Van der Poel said at a press conference on Thursday that he is optimistic about his chances, especially compared to last year when he rarely competed in cyclocross races due to knee and back problems.

"Position on the starting grid is important, but I think I have the condition to win," van der Pol told reporters. 'They say you're on the fourth row at Hulst, and it's a track where overtaking is very difficult.'

While the upcoming 2023 World Cyclocross Championships remain his top priority goal, accumulating enough points at other races during the season to secure as far forward a position as possible on the starting grid at Hoogerheide on February 5 is part of the process.

Regarding cyclocross, van der Pol told reporters that he has a different attitude than his main rival, Wout Van Aert (Jumbo Visma). Van Aert said, "It's the only event of the year where nothing is expected of me."

Van der Pol, however, said that racing for good form, even in cyclocross, is not his preferred approach. The ambition to win has to be there regardless of the race, he said.

"If you're not okay, just train some more until you are," van der Pol said. Wout, by the way, won his first race last year with a lead of nearly two minutes. Wout will be looking to win again."

The back problems that have plagued him since his crash in MTB at the Tokyo Olympics are still "ongoing" for Van der Pol. It's still not as good as it was before."

On the plus side, van der Poel was able to do his first cyclocross training session, which he noted was an improvement over last season. And he concluded bullishly: "I'm ready to race.

His only regret at the moment would be dying his hair blonde. 'It was a mistake on my girlfriend's part,' he said. 'Fortunately, I usually wear a helmet or a hat. I don't have to look at it myself."

After his cyclo-cross campaign, Van der Poel switched to the road and confirmed that he would not compete in two Grand Tours in 2023. After the spring classics, he will concentrate on MTB, including two World Cups, before heading to the Basque Country for the start of the Tour de France on July 1. He has unfinished business at the Tour, having retired this summer for the second year in a row.