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

COMPONENTISTICA

ULAC. COURSIER GT MAX, UNA BORSA MANUBRIO PER OGNI AVVENTURA

I ragazzi di Uläc, marchio distribuito da Ciclo Promo Components, hanno messo a punto una collezione di accessori per il bikepacking davvero interessante per l’ottimo rapporto qualità/prezzo. Tra le varie soluzioni per la zona manubrio spicca la borsa Coursier GT Max, la più...

PROFESSIONISTI

TOUR OF AUSTRIA. MÜHLBERGER VINCE LA PRIMA TAPPA CON 11” SU VERMAERKE. 5° BAGIOLI

Un attacco negli ultimi 11 chilometri ha permesso a Gregor Mühlberger di conquistare il successo nella prima tappa del Tour of Austria. Il 32enne atleta “di casa”, tesserato per la Decathlon CMA CGM Team ma in gara per l’occasione con...

JUNIORES

LA FILIPPO GANNA ACADEMY SBARCA TRA GLI JUNIORES, AL VIA IL PROGETTO 2027

Filippo Ganna ha sfiorato la maglia gialla e in queste settimane andrà a caccia della vittoria di tappa al Tour de France che gli manca. Intanto dalla sua Vignone arriva una bella notizia per i campioni di domani e il...

TOUR DE FRANCE

PAGINE GIALLE, LA RASSEGNA STAMPA DEL TOUR DE FRANCE

”Non cerco record ma il divertimento”. Le parole rilasciate da Pogacar alla Gazzetta sono sincere, anche se contestualizzate nella lettura della tappa che ha portato in maglia gialla Torstein Traeen. Nelle dichiarazioni raccolte da Ciro Scognamiglio, il campione del mondo...

TOUR DE FRANCE

STORIE DAL TOUR. LIZARAZU, IL TRIPLO VENTOUX IN UN SOL GIORNO E QUEI PIRENEI...

Un tempo erano temibili e irresistibili le sue discese con il pallone ai piedi, lui che suggestionava sin dal cognome onomatopeico, soprattutto calciatore sopraffino della Francia campione del Mondo nel 1998 e vincitore della Champions con il Bayern. Ahinoi, ci...

TUTTOBICI

BLABLABIKE, GUERCILENA: «UN TOUR PER "CAMBIARE PELLE" E CHIUDERE 16 ANNI IN UN GRANDE AMBIENTE»

Dopo avervi anticipato e poi dato ufficialmente la news del passaggio di Luca Guercilena dalla Lidl Trek (il Tour de France è la sua ultima corsa da team manager) a RCS Sports & Events come responsabile dell'area ciclismo, lunedì sera...

TOUR DE FRANCE

TOUR, I NUMERI DELLA QUARTA TAPPA. PEDERSEN CONFERMA LA TRADIZIONE: A FOIX, SOLO FUGHE

Numeri, curiosità e statistiche aiutano a rileggere e ad approfondire quel che abbiamo vissuto nella tappa di ieri. Seguiteci: 3: TRIPLETTAVincitore sulle strade di Foix, Mads Pedersen firma il terzo successo della sua carriera nel Tour de France, dopo aver...

APPROFONDIMENTI

POGACAR, OVVERO IL CICLISMO DENTRO UNA STATISTICA IMPOSSIBILE

Ci sono numeri che descrivono. Altri che spiegano. Poi ci sono numeri che, semplicemente, costringono a fermarsi. Quello di Tadej Pogačar appartiene a quest’ultima categoria: 19 giornate di gara, 14 vittorie. Tradotto in termini elementari, ma brutali, significa una percentuale...

TOUR DE FRANCE

TOUR DE FRANCE. PAU ASPETTA LA PRIMA VOLATA DI GRUPPO

Non accadeva dal 1992 che il Tour dovesse aspettare la quinta tappa per proporre la prima volata a ranghi compatti. E allora ecco la Lannemezan - Pau, km 158, 3 e 1.600 metri di dislivello, ovvero una frazione che le...

NEWS

LIZZIE DEIGNAN ENTRA NELLO STAFF DELLA NAZIONALE BRITANNICA: «ANDIAMO A CACCIA DI NUOVE MAGLIE IRIDATE»

Un anno dopo aver concluso la sua carriera professionistica, Lizzie Deignan torna nel mondo del ciclismo con un ruolo di rilievo. La 37enne dello Yorkshire è entrata nello staff tecnico della Federazione Britannica e affiancherà Matt Brammeier, Commissario Tecnico delle...