Dutchman Mathieu van der Pol expects to be one of the best riders vying for the rainbow jersey in the elite men's road race at the UCI Road World Championships on Sunday. And while the 24-year-old knows he has a chance to win the world title, he singled out Belgian Philippe Gilbert as the rider to beat in Yorkshire.

"I'm one of the favourites to win, but maybe it's a bit much to put me as the biggest favourite," van der Pol told a small group of reporters in Harrogate on Friday. "I think I'm one of the few who can definitely win the race. I don't think I am the strongest. There are many strong racers."

Van der Pol leads an eight-man Dutch team that includes Sebastian Langeveldt, Bauke Mollema, Niki Terpstra, Mike Tunissen, Dylan van Baarle, Jos van Emden and Pieter Weening. When asked if he thought his team could support the 285-km race from Leeds to Harrogate, he showed little concern.

"I'm already isolated in the Classics races," he said. 'Of course, it's better to have teammates, but at the end of the day, when the big names are really making an effort, we're all pretty much alone in the pack. It was the same at the Classic. If the big names are going, it's up to me to make sure I have the legs to keep up with them."

Among the contenders for the rainbow title are defending champion Alejandro Valverde (Spain), Julian Alaphilippe (France), Peter Sagan of Slovakia, Michael Matthews of Australia, Matteo Trentin (Italy), and Remco Evenpole, Greg Van Avermaert, and Philippe Gilbert (all from Belgium). Van der Pol said he believes there will be more competitors, but it will depend on the weather.

"In my opinion, there are many riders who can win the race," he said. 'There are always riders who can perform better than others in wet conditions. It's hard to name names, but I don't think pure sprinters will survive to the finish line. There are some classic types of athletes, and maybe even climbers, who could survive here."

Van der Pol said he thinks the Belgians have the strongest team on the start list. He pointed to Gilbert, who won two stages at the Vuelta a España, as the team's biggest favorite to win.

"Gilbert is strong in this kind of weather and I think he showed that he is in top form in the Vuelta. He is one of those riders who is strong in long races and this course suits him."

With rain forecast for Sunday's race, van der Pol believes there will be a lot of splits within the peloton. He expects it to be a nervous race and a war of attrition where only the strong survive to the finish.

"It's not a good idea to run that distance in wet and windy conditions," he said. It's hard to run in those conditions, and the weather forecast doesn't look good either." I also think it will be a nerve-wracking and difficult race on the big loop."

Van der Pol has not previewed the course but will test the final circuit at Harrogate on Saturday. He said he likes the constant twists and turns of the road, the fast downhills and corners, and the difficulty, and reiterated that he does not think a pure sprinter can come to the finish in the lead pack.

"Sunday will not be a sprint. There are too many riders who don't want to sprint and there will be a lot of attacks on the local laps."

"There is always the possibility that the favorites will stare each other down and the outsiders will escape. I think we (the Dutch team) have some riders who can get into the pack. I think it will be a good race to watch, but maybe not so much for the riders. But maybe not so much for the riders.