"I looked back and Mathieu was there... How is that possible?!": Tim van Dijke stunned by the phenomenal Van der Poel

Tim van Dijke’s display at the E3 Saxo Classic confirmed that his second place at Omloop Nieuwsblad on his 2026 road debut was no fluke. The Dutchman lit up the race with a powerful move on the Taaienberg, where only Mathieu van der Poel could follow his wheel. He could be a major card for the Tour des Flandres.

Days later, on Vive le Vélo, Van Dijke recalled the move with a touch of disbelief. His attack came roughly 70 kilometres from the line, at a key point of the race, and even surprised the rider himself: "It was a very special moment, especially looking back on it."

He explained he had prepared that sector well and chose to anticipate the favourites. "I was well positioned and had invested a lot in it. Stuyven pushed really hard, but I thought: 'I’d better get over it now, otherwise they’ll hit me from behind.'"

The most striking moment came when he glanced back after accelerating. "When I looked back, only Mathieu was there and I thought: 'Wow, how is that possible?!'" It was an implicit nod to the Dutch star's level, who not only matched the move but later made the decisive difference.

Just a few kilometres later, on the Boigneberg, Van Dijke paid for the effort. That was when Van der Poel launched his decisive attack, distancing his compatriot. Van Dijke accepted it with good humour: "That’s how it is," he laughed.

They later discussed that sequence, which produced another telling line from the Alpecin-Premier Tech leader. "After the Flanders race, I asked him why he had attacked. He answered: 'The way you rode up the Taaienberg, I was definitely coming along.'"

The Dutchman drew clear lessons for the future: "From now on, I need to know that if we’re in a group and no one follows us, Mathieu will attack. In that case, I’d be better off skipping two turns. But there’s also a difference in endurance, level, and training."

Edward Planckaert was also in that chase group, which raised questions about possible temporary alliances. Van Dijke admitted he considered it: "That’s what I had in mind. And I thought (on the Boigneberg): 'There he goes, no!'"

From the team car, Sven Vanthourenhout also weighed in, highlighting Van der Poel’s unpredictability: "We know that Mathieu often races on instinct or intuition. That doesn’t help us much in the moment, but it happened."

Beyond the racing, the Van Dijke twins continue to spark light moments in the bunch. Tim shares Red Bull - BORA with his twin brother Mick van Dijke, and the pair starred in a comic scene at Kuurne-Bruxelles-Kuurne.

Presenter Karl Vannieuwkerke tried to interview Tim before the start, but he redirected him to his brother. "It’s tricky, isn’t it, guys?" joked the journalist. "I need to ask Tim a question," he said, unaware of the mix-up. When he realised, he could only respond: "You’re having me on.! The brothers, laughing, enjoyed the moment.