"I am very aware that I have to be 110% fit to beat Pogacar" - Mathiue van der Poel speaks ahead of Milano-Sanremo battle with Pogacar and Ganna
Cycling
The countdown is nearly over. Milano-Sanremo, the first Monument of the 2025 cycling season, is upon us, and all eyes are on Mathieu van der Poel. Can he reclaim his throne?
The Alpecin-Deceuninck superstar conquered the monument in 2023 with a breath taking solo attack on the Poggio, and he returns to the Italian classic eager to relive that glory. Speaking ahead of the race to l’Équipe and La Gazzetta dello Sport, van der Poel reflected on his childhood fascination with the unpredictable nature of Milano-Sanremo.
“As a child, I thought Milan-San Remo was one of the most beautiful races to watch, because you never know what can happen,” he said. “Winning in the Velodrome is super special, but triumphing on the Via Roma is more emotional. In San Remo, you just don't know you're going to win until you're in the last few dozen meters. That makes it more special.”
Despite being a previous winner of Paris-Roubaix, van der Poel admits he may hold Sanremo in even higher regard. Its suspense, the way it unfolds in the final kilometres, and the sheer unpredictability of the finish have all left a lasting impression on him.
While much of the attention centres on van der Poel’s budding rivalry with Tadej Pogacar, the Dutchman is quick to spread the spotlight to other contenders, most notably Filippo Ganna.
“Ganna is Ganna. In the last two or three editions, he was already one of the strongest riders on the Poggio. He seems to be in super condition. Ganna will definitely be there in the final. It is not just about me and Pogačar.”
His respect for Pogacar is clear, but van der Poel plays down any talk of personal rivalry, pointing instead to self-preparation and acceptance of outcomes.
“To be honest, I have a very good relationship with Tadej, I don't really think about rivalry at all. I try to be in the best possible shape for competitions. And if he - like in the Tour of Flanders 2023 - is better, then that is something you have to deal with. I couldn't change that myself, because I knew that I had done everything to be in the best possible shape. If a rider is better, then it is what it is.”
With his palmarès already overflowing, van der Poel could be forgiven for taking a more relaxed approach. But his mindset remains as sharp as ever, and he knows the level required to win again.
“I have reached an age where I have achieved almost every goal I set for myself. And even more. Everything that comes now, I see as a bonus. Of course I still want to try to win the biggest races on earth, or another Monument. I am still super motivated. And I am very aware that I have to be 110% fit to beat Pogacar. That is always a good motivation.”
He should aim for 120% fitness, or even 130% fitness, just to be safe.
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- Whatever the result, I believe the strategy by UAE to launch Pogacar was absolutely the right one. Unfortunately, they just were not able to execute it the way they must have planned, being all over the place at the start of the Cipressa.Cooldude23-03-2025
- They are without doubt not just the best two classics riders of this generation, but amongst the best of all time. MvdP is more suited to MSR and PR (which Pog has yet to race), while Pog is now almost untouchable at LBL and Lombardia. RVV is the only one where both basically have an equal chance to win.Cooldude23-03-2025
- bravissima!
maria2024202423-03-2025 - According to Tadej's Strava upload, he went up the Cipressa at an average speed of 37.6kph. Rocket ship! He did the 5.63km verified 'Cipressa' Strava segment in 8:59 minutes, which has a 4.3% average grade and total elevation gain of 229m. Naturally, he got the Strava KOM.Pogboom23-03-2025
- In Track and Field, there's Usain Bolt in the sprints and Kenya's Kipchoge in the marathon. Though Bolt can quite easily beat Kipchoge in the 100m dash, he probably won't even finish a marathon. Tadej won't beat Mathieu in a sprint, yet he wins the TDF while MVDP languishes in 50th place. Both are great champions in their respective fields, but my admiration goes to Tadej for trying.FredMan23-03-2025
- They went into the race as co-leaders!frieders323-03-2025
- He can win that sprint if he plays it right but leaving tha gap was ridiculous ! A spring after 6+ hours isn't a guarantee for MVDPfrieders323-03-2025
- The climbs are steeper on Flanders giving Pogi the advanatge as we saw before when he won!frieders323-03-2025
- VDP is best in a short sprint, so Pog was purposely leaving a gap in hopes that VDP wouldn't have enough to sprint for 310 meters at the end of 300 KM. Kwiatkowski did the same thing to Sagan at that same point and won because of it.acem8223-03-2025
- Ganna started winning the occasional end of season sprint a few years ago. It's been fun watching him change from a TT specialist into something more.RidesHills23-03-2025