Adrie van der Poel touches on Wout van Aert's changing mindset: "That's the biggest mistake he can make"
Cycling
Adrie van der Poel believes Wout van Aert should not think much or change his way of racing. In a recent interview he discusses a bit Mathieu van der Poel's rival.
“When you see the attack Mathieu has on his best days, it doesn't seem like a good tactic for anyone to race around with him because at some point you will be left behind. From now on, not only I, but also other leaders will watch the situation and let it be done," Adrie said in an interview with Het Nieuwsblad. "I have often had my enthusiasm punished by Mathieu."
Van der Poel often wins by being the absolute strongest on the road, such as his wins at Milano-Sanremo and the World Championships where no-one could follow him. Wout van Aert has argued in the past that it may be a better tactic to not try and follow the Dutchman immediately upon some of his attack but instead race at his own pace.
However, father Adrie does not believe that would ultimately benefit him: “I have read that he wants to adjust his racing behavior. That's the biggest mistake he can make. Then he starts racing against his nature. Everyone can do what they want, but it didn't look good for cycling."
He does think that in some occasions to race differently would be a better tactic, giving the example of the European Championships where he sprinted to second place after being led out by Arnaud de Lie in the finale. "If Wout pulls there for De Lie, he wins the race by fifteen [bike] lengths," van der Poel argues.
The victory fell to Christophe Laporte who anticipated the attacks on the final climb, and he believes that van Aert should've had a similar tactic. "Then as a national coach I would dare to gamble: I take all the shit on myself, but we turn the tables: Van Aert for De Lie. Whatever the opposition does not expect."
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A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
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Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
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