“He is perhaps one level above everyone else” - Mathieu van der Poel makes honest Pogacar admission ahead of Tour of Flanders

Mathieu van der Poel heads into the Tour of Flanders speaking with honesty and confidence ahead of the second Monument of the season. The Dutchman is aware that he is facing a truly historic generation of riders. The Alpecin leader does not hide the current hierarchy, also recognising the extremely high level of his main rival, Tadej Pogacar, who starts as the clear favourite.

“Today I think it’s very clear, he is perhaps one level above everyone else,” he admitted to Cycling Pro Net. Far from shying away before the start, he recalled the difficulty of previous editions and outlined his approach, which remains true to his racing style.

“It was also clear the last two times he won here that nobody had an answer when he went on the Kwaremont; it’s going to be very difficult to beat him, but this is a race, so you never know,” he added.

When asked about adopting a more conservative approach to save energy for the decisive phase, Van der Poel rejected the idea of hiding in the bunch. “It depends on my legs. If I have the legs, I always race aggressively. I don’t think it’s a good thing to be scared and not race with him,” he explained with full determination.

“Of course, he is the strongest, but I am always there to try to make the race, and we’ll see if I have the legs to follow him or not,” he continued, insisting he will not change his style out of fear of burning too many matches too early. “I don’t know, I don’t think so. It also means you are scared, of course. If I have the legs, I always race, and it won’t be different today, so we’ll see.”

The tactical complexity of the race is further increased by the presence of Remco Evenepoel, a debutant who commands significant respect among the favourites. When asked whether the Belgian’s presence is an advantage or a complication, Van der Poel focused on his rival’s talent.

“It depends. If I’m second behind him, it’s a bad thing today, but I think everyone knows his talent and how good he is, especially in one-day races,” he said. “For me, it’s not a problem. It’s his first time, he’ll be there, and he is perhaps the biggest contender for victory alongside Pogacar.”

The big question hanging over the race is whether Van der Poel will be the one capable of preventing the Slovenian phenomenon from sweeping all five Monuments in a single year. True to his competitive nature, the Dutchman accepts that challenge with a mix of realism and ambition. “I hope so, but we’ll see after today. As I said, the last two times I couldn’t follow him, so I hope today I can,” he concluded.

The battle on the cobbles is set, and the reigning force of the northern Classics has made it clear he will race on the front foot and not shy away from a direct fight.