'I just want to win the race on Sunday' - Mathieu van der Poel calm, collected but ambitious for Tour of Flanders clash with Pogačar

Mathieu van der Poel has kept a low profile in the build-up to the Tour of Flanders, recovering from a cold, recovering from the efforts of his victory at the E3 Saxo Classic and avoiding the hype and expectation that always reaches a crescendo for the Ronde. 

While long-time rival Wout van Aert suffered defeat at Dwars door Vlaanderen and a wave of criticism about his tactical decisions, van der Poel has enjoyed a quiet week, training in Belgium and preparing for the expected showdown with Tadej Pogačar. 

Alpecin-Deceuninck preferred not to hold a pre-Tour of Flanders, so van der Poel was only seen when he sped around the final 100km of the Tour of Flanders during a final recon ride on Thursday. 

Van der Poel explained to Cyclingnews before Milan-San Remo how his Classics success and 2023 world title have left him at peace, allowing him to race relaxed. He has won the Tour of Flanders three times but if he fails to take a record equalling fourth win on Sunday then it will not be a traumatic defeat. 

Life goes on, and he will no doubt head out for a round of golf or a gravel ride on Monday before thinking about Paris-Roubaix. Of course, van der Poel is ambitious and wants to win on Sunday. He just takes the biggest race one at a time, rather than being distracted by equalling records and cheap talk.   

"I just want to win the race on Sunday. If I manage that, the record will come naturally. Don’t get me wrong, it’s incredibly special. I never imagined I’d even be in this position. But it’s not something I actively think about during the race," van der Poel said in comments issued by the Alepcin-Deceininck team.  

Van der Poel has ridden the Tour of Flanders six times, won it three times and finished fourth in 2019 and second to Pogačar in 2023 and a close second in a sprint to Kasper Asgreen in 2021. It is an enviable track record, just like his palmares.

Johan Museeuw recently asked if van der Poel was made for the Tour of Flanders or if the race is simply made to measure for the Dutchman.

"It’s still the Classic I love the most. As a kid, I watched it on TV in admiration, and from my very first participation, I felt a strong connection to this race," van de Poel explained.  

"The Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix, and Milan-San Remo are all magical races, but Flanders is extra special. The fact that my name is now on the winner’s list three times already makes me incredibly proud.

"I just like racing in the Flanders area, even in smaller races. Maybe because it's easier to make a difference in races in Flanders than, say, Paris-Roubaix."

'The key is to stay calm in all situations'

Van der Poel and his Alpecin-Deceuninck teammates trained for a fast four hours on Thursday, completing the long Tour of Flanders loop from the Molenberg, over the Oude Kwaremont and Paterberg and on to the finish in Oudenaarde.

"The course holds no secrets for me, so from that perspective, it wasn’t really necessary, but since I decided to stay in Belgium between E3 and the Tour of Flanders, I figured a longer training session on the course would be a good idea," he explained.

"It was the perfect way to add some extra intensity. We rode at a solid pace, not full gas, but still tough for over four hours."

Injuries have forced Alpecin-Deceuninck to shuffle their line-up for the Tour of Flanders. They will not be the strongest team and will not be willing to lead any chase or control the peloton. Alpecin-Deceuninck will simply ride to set-up van der Poel for the big attack, from Pogačar, Pedersen or Ganna.

Quinten Hermans has replaced Kaden Groves, who has a knee injury, with Gianni Vermeersch, Xandro Meurisse, Silvan Dillier, Timo Kielich and Edward Planckaert in the seven-rider line-up.

They must lead Van der Poel to his fourth victory in the Tour of Flanders on Sunday.

"We’re prepared for whatever happens, good or bad. The key is to stay calm in all situations," van der Poel said, true to character.

"As always, my teammates will do everything to put me in the best possible position for the finale. Then it’s up to me to try and win the race, though that’s obviously much easier said than done."

Van der Poel will mark Pogačar closely on Sunday but also watch other riders and ultimately try to ride his own race, not suffering Pogačar and UAE Team Emirates tactics.

"Based on recent results and how the races have played out, I still think it’s fair to say Tadej and I stand out slightly above the rest. But I always take multiple riders and teams into account. A lot can happen, and race dynamics can always throw surprises at you. Underestimating my rivals is never an option," he said.

Van der Poel has not forgotten how Pogačar dropped him on the Oude Kwaremont in 2023 and rode to a solo victory. He is hoping for a different race this year, on the Oude Kwaremont and the Paterberg with 55km to go and then again with just 14km to the finish.

"Tadej is more of a climber, he can produce really, really high numbers for a longer time. That's why he's really good on the Oude Kwaremont because it's one of the longest climbs in Flanders," an der Poel explained with recognition and respect.

"He accelerates before the cobbles begin, and the run-in to the Kwaremont is quite hard. The pace he sets there is already too high for most riders. If he's stronger, like he was in the Tour of Flanders two years ago, then it's something you have to deal with; it's not something I can change. That's simply how it is."

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