Van der Poel courted by major teams but says `they will have to wait`
(Cyclingnews.com)

After winning Dwars door Vlaanderen and Brabantse Pijl and impressing in his first Tour of Flanders, Mathieu van der Poel is understandably getting a lot of interest from the sport`s top teams. But the Dutch champion says those teams will have to wait since he is under contract with Corendon-Circus through 2023. `There are indeed a few teams that have contacted me,` Van der Poel admitted to Sporza.be on Thursday. `A few big teams, although I won`t mention names.` Deceuninck-QuickStep boss Patrick Lefevere appears to have expressed interest in both Van der Poel and his cyclo-cross rival Wout Van Aert.ADVERTISEMENT `Patrick knows our dad a little, too. So it makes sense that there has been contact,` Van der Poel said of his father Adri. `But I have let all the teams know that they have to wait for the time being. I am still under contract until 2023.` After a strong first attempt at the Classics, Van der Poel has elevated his status to favourite for the upcoming Amstel Gold Race, but he shrugged off the idea he is a top contender for victory on home soil. `A favorite for Sunday? I can agree with that. But top favorite has perhaps been said a lot. There are still riders who have proven more in those kind of races than me.` You can read more at Cyclingnews.com