'I just want the legs of Tadej, just one time' - Nils Politt co-leads UAE Team Emirates at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad

Whenever German all-rounder Nils Politt indulges in one of his favourite non-cycling hobbies - fishing - he regularly catches rainbow trout. It turns out this variety can vary widely in size, from half a kilo to five times that weight. 

"The last one I caught was quite small, but it tasted pretty good," he told Cyclingnews over the winter.

Classics wins, on the other hand, are far more equal in terms of prestige. But netting a top one-day race is proving elusive for Politt so far. In 2024 at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, the 30-year-old could hardly have come closer to reeling one in, and this season he and his UAE Team Emirates-XRG squad are determined to make that catch.

Outsprinted at the finish in Ninove by Jan Tratnik 12 months ago, Politt finally had to settle for second. But his results that followed in the top Monuments, including third in the Tour of Flanders and fourth in Paris-Roubaix, made 2024 his best season in the Classics since he took second in the Hell of the North back in 2019.

Next Saturday, rather than anything fish-related, Politt will once again be looking to add a major Classics victory to his trophy cabinet, which already includes a stage of the Tour de France, and multiple German National Championships titles. But as he points out, UAE Team Emirates-XRG have an impressively deep lineup for the cobbled Classics and in both Omloop and Kuurne, they certainly have plenty of options.

"If I can achieve the same, get on the podium or go for the win, that'd be super nice," Politt told Cyclingnews during the recent Volta ao Algarve. "But I have to say we will have a super-strong team there all round."

"Tim Wellens [former Omloop podium finisher] is coming in super good shape as he's showed already this season, then there's also Jhonatan Narvaez, Florian Vermeersch and Rune Herregodts….so it'll maybe be a good weekend for us."

Yet another option, too, is Antonio Morgado, already a double winner this spring in Mallorca and at Figueira Champions Classic. Fifth in Flanders last year behind Politt and Mikkel Bjerg - yet another potential UAE candidate for Omloop, although that his participation is yet to be confirmed - the Portuguese racer will be a key card in the Opening Weekend pack for the Middle Eastern squad.

However, pre-race at least, it's Politt who feels like first amongst the UAE equals with three top 10 places in the last four years, so he's by far the most experienced Omloop rider of his squad. Then when it comes to the fine art of achieving a top result in Omloop with one in Flanders, the German has that sorted as well.

"It's not hard to focus on this early in the season, if you have the shape or legs, then it's not hard at all," he insists. 

He's also over his crash in one of the Mallorca races, saying, "I'm feeling quite OK, I did two weeks training at home and now this Vuelta a Algarve is good build-up for next week."

Politt's top aim of the Classics season isn't necessarily Omloop though. "For sure Roubaix is one of my biggest goals," he told Cyclingnews during the team training camp in December. "It's the most suited to my characteristics, they're all flat roads there, so it's all about power and it suits me quite well."

The question of whether teammate Tadej Pogačar will actually take part in Paris-Roubaix has gained extra impetus after his training ride with Wellens in the Forest of Arenburg. But when asked in December, Politt was not overly troubled whatever option Pogačar finally took, seeing advantages as well as disadvantages for his own chances regardless.

"For sure if he doesn't do it, it gives me more of a chance," Politt said. "Pogačar will be back at the start in the Classics and if he's there in Roubaix, he'll be at the front of the race and our own goals move back.

"But when it comes to me going for a good result, it's not a problem either way. Sometimes it's actually easier to have him as a leader in the race because you're more focussed. Then if he's in front, you can relax and put more pressure on the other rivals that way."

Politt is convinced, too that if Pogačar is present in Roubaix, then it's "110% sure he can win it".

"You saw him going up the Kwaremont [in the 2023 Tour of Flanders], he went past me like he was on a motorbike. If he does the same thing in a sector like Mons-en-Pevele in Paris-Roubaix or some other paves that are even a little bit uphill, he can put down a lot of power on the pedals." 

It's worth remembering that the rider who dominated in both the 2024 editions of Flanders and Roubaix, though, was not Pogačar but Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck). In Politt's case, trying to close the gap on the winner of both Monuments last year will be crucial to his chances in the cobbled Classics in general.

"I was not in the right position when Mathieu attacked in Roubaix, but last year he went superstrong anyway," Politt argued. "There were three guys going full gas behind him, but he still got a two-minute gap, almost three by the end.

"So I'm just hoping this year when I come back to Roubaix, I'll have some super strong legs."

Asked if there was one element of Pogačar's range of talents that he'd particularly like to have for the Classics, Politt simplied said "legs".

"I always say for my part that I just want the legs of Tadej, just one time, and even when he's at 90% that'd be fine by me. But in any case, we're all learning from him, not him from us."

Yet while Pogačar will have plenty of opportunities to mark massive successes on his own account, this Saturday will not be one of them. Rather than their leader, it will be Politt and his other UAE teammates' turn to shine. 

So while there's no questioning their loyalty when Pogačar is in the mix, you can be sure that at Omloop and Kuurne they'll be determined to make the most of his absence, too - just like Politt did when he went fishing for a top Classics result last year.