"I can't think of a scenario where he can't win" - Michael Boogerd struggles to see anything other than Mathieu van der Poel domination at Amstel Gold Race

Ahead of the Amstel Gold Race this Sunday, one name stands head and shoulders above the rest according to the bookmakers with Mathieu van der Poel a clear favourite. Even Michael Boogerd, winner of the 1999 edition of the race, cannot foresee a situation that doesn't end with van der Poel victorious.

With two monument wins already this season, van der Poel is undoubtedly in top-form. Is there a risk of the world champion suffering a drop off though? "Look, in my time it was almost impossible to be good in the Amstel and Liège-Bastogne-Liège after Milano-Sanremo, Gent Wevelgem, the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix. Only at that time, there were very few riders with Mathieu's calibre," the now 51-year-old Boogerd assesses in conversation with Wielerflits. "He should be able to maintain that level in the next two races."

"He has only competed in a few competitions to date. We had already completed a whole campaign with stage races and hassle and who knows what. Van der Poel does not have that. On the other hand, he has ridden all his races at the cutting edge. Mentally that always takes energy," Boogerd continues. "If you look purely at what he has already shown, it wouldn't be surprising if things slow down a bit. And it depends on how motivated and sharp he is. Maybe we won't see him in the Amstel at all. Not because he is bad, but just because he thinks it's fine.”

When Boogerd looks at the situation though, the Dutchman struggles to see any situation where van der Poel's rivals could put him into serious difficulty. “That is a very difficult one. I can say the pre-final, but Mathieu himself is also good at completely controlling the course early on. Although the Amstel may be a bit difficult for that. The question is also whether Alpecin-Deceuninck as a team is as strong as in the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix," he explains. "This was certainly the case in the Brabantse Pijl on Wednesday. He can build on that. If Mathieu is as fit again as he was in Flanders and Roubaix, it will be very difficult to beat him on Sunday. Then I can't think of a scenario where he can't win. Others should certainly not adjust their course to him.”

If the world champion does take his likely victory, van der Poel could become the first rider ever to win the Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix and the Amstel Gold Race in the same spring. "That's what I meant. I don't know how to identify him. Everything he does… This is very strange to me to say, but I think this is one of the best cyclists ever," praises Boogerd. 

"Look, he's not going to win a big tour. But it is also the way he races that makes it so special," he concludes. "I've actually never seen that, not even among young people. And not in the golden age of Jan Raas and Hennie Kuiper. Those were really great. But I think he is even more special.”