With Mathieu van der Poel starting his season this weekend at Milano-Sanremo, there are many question marks on what the Dutchman’s form will be like going into the opening Monument of the year. The World Champion took 13 wins in 14 races during the cyclocross races, but whether or not he will be able to translate that form to the road is yet to be seen.
In an interview with Omroep Brabant, Mathieu’s father Adrie van der Poel commented on his son’s preparation ahead of the weekend, as he said “he is old and wise enough. Mathieu mainly trains in Spain. I assume he is well prepared for the new season”.
On whether Mathieu will be able to replicate his form from 2023, in which he won Milano-Sanremo, Paris-Roubaix and the World Championships in Glasgow, his father said “it is difficult to match that, let alone do better. All eyes are on Mathieu, but that has been the case for ten years. Everyone knows his qualities”.
Adrie took two seventh place finishes at Milano-Sanremo during his career. On what it takes to achieve a good result at the race, the former winner of the Ronde van Vlaanderen and Liège-Bastogne-Liège said “you have to make sure you are at the front in some places on the course. It is a fight for your place. You have to drive with concentration from start to finish. We will first see if Mathieu is good enough”.
One thing that Mathieu does have in his locker, and has shown in several races over the years, is knowing the right moment to attack, as Adrie said “That is only possible if you have that half a percent more than the rest. Then you can make an all-or-nothing attempt”.
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