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
Marlen Reusser succede ad Elisa Longo Borghini nell’albo d’oro della Dwars door Vlaanderen. La svizzera della Movistar, al rientro alle gare dopo la caduta patita all'UAE Tour, ha conquistato la trentacinquesima vittoria in carriera sul traguardo Waregem battendo in...
Il racconto di questa giornata in terra belga non può che strappare un sorriso perché Filippo Ganna è stato un vero e proprio bersaglio della sfortuna, ma anche il protagonista di una vittoria stupenda. Si tratta del terzo successo stagionale per...
In questa occasione definirlo capolavoro ci sembra addirittura riduttivo perché Filippo Ganna è riuscito in qualcosa di incredibile. L'atleta del Team Ineos ha vinto la Dwars Door Vlaanderen (In italiano "Attraverso le Fiandre") dopo una giornata piena di sfortuna. Nonostante forature,...
Il presidente Cordiano Dagnoni e il segretario generale Marcello Tolu hanno visitato oggi, insieme al sindaco di Spresiano Marco Della Pietra e a Remo Mosole, i cantieri di Spresiano, aperti solo qualche giorno fa per la fase di demolizione delle...
Le immagini in tv parlano chiaro e i racconti di chi le ha corse non sono certo da meno: il clima durante le classiche del nord sottolinea quanto sia difficile correre queste gare in balia spesso di condizioni meteo del...
Enea Sambinello suona la carica in vista del Trofeo Piva 2026 di domenica 5 aprile. Il bolognese della UAE Team Emirates GenZ è reduce da un inizio di stagione molto convincente, in cui ha alternato uscite con lo squadrone dei...
Una notizia molto triste ha colpito il ciclismo ceco e mondiale. A un solo giorno dal suo 90° compleanno, Vladimír Holeček ha lasciato questo mondo. “La più grande autorità storica del ciclismo ceco nel campo diplomatico internazionale”, ha scritto la...
In Italia, il Giro delle Fiandre è un’esclusiva di Warner Bros. Discovery, che trasmette la corsa in diretta integrale su Eurosport 1, HBO Max e discovery+, disponibile su DAZN, TimVision e Prime Video. Dalla partenza di Anversa alle 9:45 ai...
La prima, e finora unica, corsa di Jasper De Buyst in questa stagione è stato l’UAE Tour concluso lontano dai migliori. Il 32enne belga è stato costretto anche lontano dalle competizioni per alcuni problemi cardiaci che lo hanno portato anche...
Dopo anni passati ad aver studiato distribuzione delle pressioni, materiali innovativi e tecnologie all’avanguardia Prologo ha scoperto che la chiave del vero comfort non è il supporto, ma la fluidità. L’acqua è uno degli elementi essenziali più preziosi sul nostro pianeta, siamo...
1
1
Ritratti
Oscar
Albi d'Oro
Se sei giá nostro utente esegui il login altrimenti registrati.