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

GOSSIP

LOTTE KOPECKY E AXEL MERCKX, E' NATA UNA NUOVA STORIA D'AMORE

Nel ciclismo è nata una nuova coppia: si tratta dell’ex iridata Lotte Kopecky (30 anni) e di Axel Merckx (53), il figlio del Cannibale. In una recentissima intervista con Sporza, la Kopecky aveva rivelato di essersi innamorata di nuovo e di...

PROFESSIONISTI

DIESSE VICENTINI. BRAMBILLA SULLE ORME DI CENGHIALTA E BALDATO

Bruno Cenghialta, Fabio Baldato e Gianluca Brambilla, tre vicentini passati dal manubrio della bici al volante delle ammiraglie senza mai perdere la rotta del grande ciclismo. Ha cominciato Bruno Cenghialta, 63 anni, ormai da dieci all’Astana. Prima di fare il...

INTERVISTA

VINGEGAARD. «NEL 2025 HO FATTO GRANDI COSE, MA NON E' STATA LA MIA STAGIONE MIGLIORE»

Jonas Vingegaard è l’uomo enigmatico del gruppo. Spesso capace di nascondere le sue emozioni, con gli occhi celati dietro ai suoi occhiali specchiati anche a fine corsa, raramente lascia intravedere ciò che pensa e come si sente. Nelle interviste le...

INTERVISTA

LUCA GUGNINO. DAL TENNIS AL CICLISMO: ORIGINI SPAGNOLE E UN TALENTO TUTTO DA SCOPRIRE

A soli 16 anni, Luca Gugnino si sta affermando come uno dei giovani più interessanti del panorama ciclistico italiano. E pensare che appena quattro anni fa il ragazzo di Boves, classe 2009, impugnava la racchetta da tennis, sport in cui...

LIBRI

L'ORA DEL PASTO. PAVIA E QUELLE BICICLETTE SUL LATO DEL PARADISO

Pavia, Collegio Borromeo. Studenti universitari, matricole (quelli del primo anno), colonne (secondo), fagioli (terzo). Goliardia, sport. Libri, furti, scherzi, partite, amori. Paolo il Pasta, Uomo, Morry, Gian, Stiva, Pesce Palla: sono loro i protagonisti. Già gli anni Ottanta, ma ancora...

MTB

MARTINOLI, LA BIKER VOLANTE: «NEL 2026 INSEGUO NUOVE MAGLIE TRICOLORI MA NON SOLO...». GALLERY

Il futuro è dalla parte di Giada Martinoli: prima ha pensato al diploma, poi a vincere importanti trofei in sella alla mountain bike. Giada, 19enne del Gruppo Sportivo Carabinieri-Olympia, vive a Bedero Valcuvia con mamma Alessandra, papà Adriano e il fratello...

FUORISTRADA

NASCE "THE WILD WOODS": TRE EVENTI FUORISTRADA NEL PARCO REGIONALE DEI COLLI EUGANEI

Xevent è lieta di annunciare il lancio di The Wild Woods, un progetto sportivo di livello nazionale e internazionale composto da tre eventi agonistici dedicati al ciclismo fuoristrada, che si svolgeranno tra febbraio e marzo 2026 nel suggestivo contesto naturale del Parco...

CICLOCROSS

ALE COLNAGO. CONFERME DAL BELGIO E OGGI IL TEAM GAREGGIA NEL SUPERPRESTIGE

Una vera e propria raffica di gare per atlete e atleti dell’Ale Colnago Team in Belgio. Tante competizioni e tante soddisfazioni per i buoni risultati ottenuti nel “regno” del ciclocross. Cominciamo dalla 7a tappa della Coppa del Mondo a Gavere...

TUTTOBICI

BLABLABIKE, AXEL MERCKX: «IL CALENDARIO GARE NON È TROPPO PESANTE, LO DIVENTA CON TUTTI I RITIRI IN ALTURA»

Come vi abbiamo anticipato e rivelato nel giorno di Natale, per chiudere in bellezza il 2025 di BlaBlaBike (puntata numero 303) abbiamo intervistato Axel Merckx. E per chiudere ancor più in bellezza, l'ultimo argomento toccato è stato suo papà, il...

NEWS

SOUDAL QUICK-STEP, DUE GRANDI GIRI NEI PIANI DI LANDA PER IL 2026

Mikel Landa non vuole assolutamente darla vinta alla malasorte e a 36 anni, dopo una lunghissima sequela di incidenti che l’hanno obbligato ad altrettanti faticosi recuperi, è pronto a riagganciare il pedale per disputare con rinnovata passione la sua...