VAN DER POEL. FROM CROSS TO CLASSICS, ONE THOUGHT ONLY: WIN

CYCLOCROSS | 31/01/2025 | 08:20
di Francesca Monzone
2024 was an extraordinary year for Mathieu Van der Poel, but 2025 could be even more so, because for this absolute talent, the desire to win never stops.
In the past season, he conquered two Monument Classics: the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix. He also distinguished himself by winning the E3 Saxo Classic and a stage in the Luxembourg Tour. He could have won Milan-Sanremo as he did in 2023, but reasoning coldly and seeing his teammate Philipsen in a good position, he decided to give up the chase towards the finish line, favoring his friend who, thanks to him, did not miss the sprint.
Although he failed to retain the world champion jersey in Zurich, Switzerland, the Dutchman still performed well, finishing third, behind Ben O'Connor and an unleashed Pogačar whom no one that day could have stopped. Among the road results to note are also second place at Gent-Wevelgem and third at Liège-Bastogne-Liège. But in 2024, the Dutch son and grandson of art, did not reconfirm himself world champion on the road, he still managed to win two rainbow jerseys.
The first at the World Cyclocross Championships in Tabor, in the Czech Republic, last February 4th and then in Gravel in Leuven on October 6th. In short, Van der Poel is the only rider capable of winning anywhere, without looking at the terrain or opponents, who can do little against his supremacy.
On January 19th, the Alpecin-Deceuninck champion celebrated his 30th birthday and in his palmares there are already 50 road victories, including six Monument Classics (3 Tour of Flanders, 2 Paris-Roubaix, 1 Milan-Sanremo), as well as a road World Championship and a Gravel title. Apart from these, there are the titles won in mountain bike and cyclocross: 6 world titles and three European titles in cyclocross and a European gold in MTB.
The winter season for Raymond Poulidor's nephew started dramatically: five races and as many victories in the short span of eight days from December 22nd to 29th, all with a precise and declared objective, namely the world championship. If he wins in France in a few days, MVDP would win his seventh world title and equal the record held by Eric De Vlaeminck, although in the off-road world there are rumors that the Dutch phenomenon wants to stop only when the rainbow jerseys become 10. Silent and smiling,
Mathieu does not like to talk about his family, especially about his grandfather Raymond, with whom he had a unique and special relationship. Dad Adrie always follows him, but keeping a certain distance, because Mathieu does not like being told what he should or should not do, whether he is about to face a cross or a classic. And in 2025 he will race the one-day races, those where the public arrives at the first light of morning to secure a spot roadside and applaud the greatest champions, will be his great objective.
The clamor of fans pleases him and gives him that charge that leads him to improve, even if on some occasions the lack of respect has unfortunately taken over: while passing near the barriers, some people have repeatedly thrown beer in his face. Acts that the Dutchman immediately denounced, emphasizing that during a race one must never endanger the safety of riders.
Mathieu's road season will once again start from Milan-Sanremo, the first Monument Classic, which he has already raced five times, finishing third in 2022 and first in 2023. Then there will be the Ronde van Vlaanderen, those Flanders that make the heart beat strongly, the great Flemish cycling festival, where victory makes you a semi-god in the land of cycling. The week after he will race Paris-Roubaix and then for subsequent races, such as the Amstel Gold Race, a decision will be made later, when the program up to the Tour de France will be finalized.
Until February, Mathieu Van der Poel wants to remain focused on cyclocross, racing a lot even if the first races of the season have demonstrated his clear superiority.
There have been some direct confrontations with Van Aert, the next will be at the world championship: "Wout and I are used to challenging each other: when he is in the race, it's like entering a familiar environment for me and I like when I can face him". The last world championship where they faced each other was in 2023 in the Netherlands, a few steps from the house where Adrie Van der Poel grew up. Mathieu had won and Van Aert, acknowledging defeat, listened silently to the Dutchman's words. "I am sure that one day we will find ourselves talking about our races" - Van der Poel had said -. "I think that together we have made this sport more beautiful and one day we will be able to tell what great things we have done".
On the grass and in the mud, Mathieu currently has no opponents capable of challenging him: his superiority is so clear that it seems impossible for anyone to try to keep his pace. In the head of the Dutch phenomenon is the road bike and those races that must absolutely be won, but in his heart is cyclocross and Mathieu has often confessed to finding road races sometimes boring. In reality, in the future of this guy there continues to be 360-degree cycling: whatever the terrain he will be called to measure himself on, it is certain that MVDP will race where he can have fun and above all make the public who wait for him roadside have fun, ready to cheer him towards victory. From tuttoBICI January issue

COMMENTI

Per poter commentare i post devi esser registrato.
Se sei giá nostro utente esegui il login altrimenti registrati.

TBRADIO

00:00

CICLOCROSS

PARLA HEIJBOER. «VAN AERT STA MOLTO BENE, E' PIU' SERENO, SI DIVERTE E PER IL MONDIALE...»

Ancora nessuna vittoria per Wout van Aert, ma il suo allenatore Mathieu Heijboer è convinto che ci siano ancora buone possibilità per correre il Mondiale: «Wout si riprende bene dopo ogni gara di ciclocross e la porta per i Mondiali non...

INTERVISTA

VUELTA, BERNAL, LA INEOS 2026, LA NUOVA QUOTIDIANITÀ E I PROSPETTI AZZURRI: PAROLA A VIVIANI

È con entusiasmo, voglia di apprendere e grande consapevolezza che Elia Viviani si appresta a iniziare la sua prima stagione da ex corridore. Il trentaseienne veronese, ritiratosi quest’anno dopo 16 stagioni da professionista che gli hanno portato in dote...

STORIA

CORSE E RICORSI. CARPI, L'U.C. NICOLO' BIONDO E LA POPOLARISSIMA DELLE PALME. GALLERY

La storia è lunga e affascinante, e affonda le sue radici nella Popolarissima delle Palme, la celebre corsa per dilettanti organizzata a Carpi dall’Unione Ciclistica Nicolò Biondo, società fondata nel 1909 e per la quale vestirono la gloriosa maglia, tra...

CONTINENTAL

BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS DEVELOPMENT. SONO 5 I GIOVANI ITALIANI PER IL 2026

La Bahrain Victorious Development annuncia la rosa 2026, che comprende cinque giovani italiani:. con il debuttante tra gli under 23 Giacomo Rosato, azzurro al mondiale di KIgali in Ruanda, figurano Santiago Basso figlio dell'ex professionista Ivan -due Giri d'Italia e...

ABBIGLIAMENTO

ECCO LA NUOVA DIVISA DELLA VISMA LEASE A BIKE FIRMATA NIMBL. GALLERY

Nimbl è orgogliosa di affiancare Team Visma | Lease a Bike come fornitore del proprio equipaggiamento tecnico, indossato dalla squadra a partire dal Tour de France. Questa collaborazione segna l’ingresso diretto di Nimbl nel segmento dell’abbigliamento WorldTour, con prodotti progettati...

STORIA

DA MARZAIOLI A PASCARELLA, SESSANT'ANNI DOPO MADDALONI SOGNA ANCORA

“Ci sono città che parlano piano. E poi ci sono città che pedalano, anche quando il tempo passa e cambia i volti. Maddaloni è una di queste. Qui la bicicletta non è mai stata soltanto sport: è stata riscatto, fatica,...

CICLOCROSS

ALE COLNAGO. GARIBOLDI, BERTOLINI E SCALORBI PRESTAZIONI DI RILIEVO IN BELGIO

Ale Colnago Team ancora protagonista nelle gare di ciclocross in Belgio. Nell’affascinante competizione in notturna a Diegem, sesta prova del Superprestige, è stata ancora la brianzola/bresciana (una vita a Lissone e da qualche anno trasferitasi a Lodetto di Rovato) Rebecca Gariboldi a...

EVENTI

IL 2 GENNAIO A ERCOLE DI CASERTA: QUEL RICORDO DI FAUSTO COPPI CHE NON SBIADISCE MAI...

Caserta, e il nucleo umano della sua frazione di Ercole, renderanno anche per il 2026 l’omaggio consueto a Fausto Coppi, il ‘campionissimo’ del ciclismo e dello sport italiano, scomparso immaturamente il 2 gennaio 1960. E così ancora questo venerdì 2 gennaio,...

CICLOCROSS

CROSS DEL SILE, LA JAM'S BIKE TEAM BUJA CONQUISTA IL TITOLO TRIVENETO DEL TEAM RELAY

Per il 4° anno le Industrie PM di Casale sul Sile hanno ospitato il Cross del Sile. Quest’anno l’organizzazione curata dal Team Bike Santa Cristina ha scelto di dividere la manifestazione in due giorni. Ieri hanno gareggiato le categorie giovanili...

GRAN FONDO

BGY AIRPORT GRANFONDO: 30 ANNI DI STORIA PER UN PATRIMONIO DI SPORT, PASSIONE E TERRITORIO

Nel 2026 la BGY Airport Granfondo raggiungerà un traguardo di assoluto prestigio: trent’anni dalla prima edizione, disputata il 4 maggio 1996. Tre decenni di sport, passione e impegno che hanno contribuito a rendere la Granfondo di Bergamo uno degli eventi...