Modular conveyor, comprising: a conveyor mat or conveyor chain, said mat or chain including a series of modules successive in the transport direction, hingedly connected together into an endless loop, wherein said modules, viewed in the transport direction, are each provided at their front and rear side with hinge loops, wherein the hinge loops of modules successive in the transport direction cooperate and are coupled with the aid of hinge pins extending transversely to the transport direction, the hinge loop at the front side of a module being positioned at a pitch distance from the hinge loop at the front side of an adjacent module, the pitch distance at which each hinge loop at the front side of a module is positioned from a hinge loop at the front side of an adjacent module being at least substantially the same throughout the conveyor mat or chain, said conveyor further comprising: two spaced apart diverting wheel units (4, 5) around which the conveyor mat or chain is to be circulated, the modular mat or chain comprising an upper run with an outer surface and a lower return run, at least one of the diverting wheel units (4, 5) comprising a drive shaft, a drive wheel mounted on the drive shaft and drivingly engaging the conveyor mat or chain, said conveyor mat or chain being diverted around the drive wheel, and a motor coupled to the drive shaft for during operation rotating the drive shaft and the drive wheel, wherein the at least one diverting wheel unit comprising the drive shaft and the drive wheel further comprises an upper idler wheel mounted on an idler wheel shaft, wherein the radius of the upper idler wheel and the radius of the drive wheel are substantially equal to each other, said upper idler wheel being positioned at a height level above the drive wheel for diverting the conveyor mat or chain from the upper run in an at least partly downward direction towards the drive wheel, and wherein a centre line of said upper idler wheel shaft is positioned at an intermediate distance from a centre line of the drive shaft, characterised in that the conveyor mat or conveyor chain is configured for conveying products in a transport direction, and wherein the outer surface forms a transport surface for carrying items in the transport direction, and in that the intermediate distance equals a distance of: n times the pitch distance + substantially a 1⁄2 time the pitch distance, in which n is a natural number. two spaced apart diverting wheel units (4, 5) around which the conveyor mat or chain is to be circulated, the modular mat or chain comprising an upper run with an outer surface and a lower return run, at least one of the diverting wheel units (4, 5) comprising a drive shaft, a drive wheel mounted on the drive shaft and drivingly engaging the conveyor mat or chain, said conveyor mat or chain being diverted around the drive wheel, and a motor coupled to the drive shaft for during operation rotating the drive shaft and the drive wheel, wherein the at least one diverting wheel unit comprising the drive shaft and the drive wheel further comprises an upper idler wheel mounted on an idler wheel shaft, wherein the radius of the upper idler wheel and the radius of the drive wheel are substantially equal to each other, said upper idler wheel being positioned at a height level above the drive wheel for diverting the conveyor mat or chain from the upper run in an at least partly downward direction towards the drive wheel, and wherein a centre line of said upper idler wheel shaft is positioned at an intermediate distance from a centre line of the drive shaft, characterised in that the conveyor mat or conveyor chain is configured for conveying products in a transport direction, and wherein the outer surface forms a transport surface for carrying items in the transport direction, and in that the intermediate distance equals a distance of: n times the pitch distance + substantially a 1⁄2 time the pitch distance, in which n is a natural number. n times the pitch distance + substantially a 1⁄2 time the pitch distance, in which n is a natural number.