@JasperPhilipsen 💙 @mathieuvdpoel What a way to win our first race of the road season! Bingo for @JasperPhilipsen and #AlpecinDeceuninck in stage 4 of @TirrenAdriatico 🏆 #AlpecinDeceuninck #TirrenoAdriatico2023
"I need stages like that to get better" - Mathieu van der Poel still far from best form but positive after climbing test
CyclingThursday, 09 March 2023 at 19:00
Mathieu van der Poel hoped to be in contention for today's stage at Tirreno-Adriatico, but the climbs have exposed his relative lack of form currently. The Alpecin-Deceuninck rider talks of the need for hard days such as this.
“It was clear that I had trouble with the pace. It was a very hard finish, maybe a little too hard. Obviously I didn't have the best legs, but I need stages like that to get better," van der Poel said in a post-race interview. The Dutchman was dropped in the two times the riders rode over the final ascent to Tortoreto, and then voluntarily dropped in the final ascent after leading out teammate Robert Stannard.
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It was a tough test for van der Poel, who sees himself still below his best level. It won't come as a shock, but the difficulties climbing most likely mean that stage 6 will also be too far of a reach for the classics specialist to fight for the victory. As he builds towards the cobbled classics, he hopes this work does it's effect.
“But we are here to sharpen the form. I was good the last two days, but today was a little less, but we'll see again tomorrow. There are still a few tough stages ahead. My goals are after the Tirreno," van der Poel concluded.
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- A champion turning into a sore loser. Or is he on coke again?
UltimateOpportunist23-12-2024 - If you look at the major races they’ve both been in, van der Poel had the early edge as lately Pogacar has had the advantage. It’s all on procyclingstats.RidesHills23-12-2024
- I wouldn’t assume Tadej can’t win at cross. He did a cross race, not a World Cup, a few years ago and crushed the field. It was a minor race. But he can win anywhere.mij23-12-2024
- I wonder what would happen if Pogacar attacked on the Cipressa instead of the Poggio in San Remo? Would MvdPoel still be able to follow?Ride197423-12-2024
- Debatable?Ride197423-12-2024
- The point is obvious: MVDP can beat Tadej on CX/Road and Tadej cannot. What is so hard to understand???averagecyclist22-12-2024
- Funny... one doper enabler backing the doper he enabled ! Who would have guessed.frieders322-12-2024
- Wouldn’t be here if I wasn’tMistermaumau22-12-2024
- So you're bored, got itvappaxbipmv22-12-2024
- Does everything need to have a point? If so, 99% of the internet should be wiped away. In relation to recent articles with quotes from other riders, my statement points to the ever more obvious reason why they are asked to comment on the effect of his return.Mistermaumau22-12-2024