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

LIBRI

BALLAN E FONDRIEST TENGONO A BATTESIMO IL SAGGIO "TRA STRADA E CIVILTÀ" DI MARCO CAVORSO

In occasione del giorno di riposo del Giro d'Italia è stato presentato il saggio “Tra strada e civiltà – Una storia personale, una responsabilità collettiva” scritto da Marco Cavorso. Marco è il papà di Tommaso, ucciso da un uomo che...

GIRO D'ITALIA

LE STATISTICHE DEL GIRO. VINGEGAARD RADDOPPIA E METTE POGACAR NEL MIRINO

Nelle prime 9 tappe del Giro d’Italia sono stati 4 i corridori a indossare la maglia rosa, in rappresentanza di altrettante nazioni: un giorno a testa Paul Magnier (Francia) e Giulio Ciccone (Italia), due Guillermo Thomas Silva (Uruguay) e cinque...

GIRO D'ITALIA

EULALIO. «SONO MIGLIORATO IN TUTTO, MA NON A CRONOMETRO, QUINDI DOMANI...»

Ci scherza su, si diverte nel giorno di riposo: “Afonso, perderai domani la maglia rosa a vantaggio di Vingegaard? “Sì, sicuro”. Afonso Eulalio, portoghese di 24 anni, viene da Figueira da Foz, nota città balneare di 60mila abitanti sull’Atlantico, a...

NEWS

CIPOLLINI OPERATO NUOVAMENTE AL CUORE: «TUTTO BENE, SENTO UNA LEGGEREZZA CHE AVEVO DIMENTICATO»

Mario Cipollini è stato operato nuovamente al cuore questa mattina all'ospedale di Tor Vergata dall'equipe guidata dal professor Andrea Natale. È stato lo stesso Supermario a spiegare le sue condizioni cliniche ieri in un lungo post: «Purtroppo la miocardite che...

I VOTI DEL DIRETTORE

I VOTI DI STAGI. VISMA DA DIECI, BAHRAIN, XDS E UAE IN SCIA, MA LA SORPRESA È LA TUDOR

SOUDAL QUICK-STEP. 8. Sette piazzamenti nei dieci, due vittorie di tappa con una delle grandi rivelazioni di questo Giro, Paul Magnier: ai ragazzi di Davide Bramati c’è poco da dire, per ora. Al momento, infatti, ci vorrebbe un uomo un...

DONNE ALLIEVE

GERMANIA. CARRETTA BRILLA AL TMP JUGENTOUR: 6^ NELLA GENERALE, PODI E LA MAGLIA DI MIGLIOR SCALATRICE

La giovane trevigiana Carretta Matilde, classe della scuola ciclistica di Casier e portacolori dell’U.C. Conscio Pedale del Sile del presidente Renato Vanzo, ha firmato un fine settimana di altissimo livello al 26° TMP Jugendtour di Gotha, in Germania, una delle...

GIRO D'ITALIA

UNO-X MOBILITY, IL GIUDIZIO DI KULSET SULLE SUE PRIME NOVE TAPPE ALLA CORSA ROSA 2026

A quasi due anni di distanza dal suo esordio in un Grande Giro avvenuto al Tour de France 2024, questo maggio Johannes Kulset è tornato a misurarsi con le fatiche e i palcoscenici di una corsa a tappe di...

ESORDIENTI

TEAM SENAGHESE GUERRINI: UN'ALTRA DOPPIETTA CON PEDROTTI E PUPILLO

Il Team Senaghese Guerrini continua a dettare legge tra gli esordienti e firma un’altra domenica da incorniciare, confermandosi la squadra da battere nella categoria. La formazione milanese mette infatti a segno una nuova doppietta, grazie ai successi dei suoi due...

LUTTO

ADDIO A RENZO CECCONI, PER 52 ANNI PRESIDENTE DELLA CAPANNOLESE

Ci ha lasciato Renzo Cecconi, personaggio conosciuto non solo in Valdera (abitava a Capannoli) per la sua lunga attività in vari settori e non solo nel mondo dello sport e del ciclismo in particolare dove tanti anni fa lo abbiamo...

GIRO D'ITALIA

UN GIRO DI TWEET. LA BARBA DI VINGEGAARD, LA FOSSA DI JONAS, LA TORTURA DI VINGO

Malumori fra i corridori, costretti a rientrare in bici dal traguardo di Corno alle Scale: sapevano che la località appenninica è nota per le piste di slalom, non di discesa. Spiegato il motivo per cui Vingegaard sulle prime montagne si...