"I'm definitely not at my peak yet" – But Mathieu van der Poel powers to stage win at Renewi Tour as he builds towards MTB World Championships

Mathieu van der Poel may not be at full flight just yet, but the Dutchman’s sheer class was enough to deliver a dominant victory on stage 3 of the 2025 Renewi Tour. Outgunning Arnaud De Lie and Tim Wellens in a long, grinding sprint to the line, Van der Poel reminded the cycling world once again that even at less than 100%, he's a force to be reckoned with.

After the finish, the Alpecin-Deceuninck rider was quick to underline that Friday’s win was more about process than perfection. “I’m definitely not at my peak yet,” Van der Poel admitted in his post-stage interview with the media. “I’ll still need to improve towards the MTB Worlds, but that’s exactly why I’m here.”

His performance, however, told a different story to the legs he described. Launching a bold move with still 90 kilometres remaining, Van der Poel helped ignite the day’s racing long before the final punchy laps around Geraardsbergen. His acceleration on the cobbled climbs split the front group and set up a nail-biting three-up finale alongside De Lie and Wellens. It was a relentless effort, shaped not by perfect sensations, but by trademark aggression and tactical awareness.

“We wanted to make the race hard with the team – and we did,” he said. “Tibor Del Grosso was up there too, so it was an ideal scenario. I didn’t have my best legs, but I didn’t blow up either.”

That ability to operate in the red without cracking proved decisive. Even after being briefly reeled in by the peloton earlier in the stage, Van der Poel managed to regroup, reset, and strike again when it mattered most. “When I got caught the first time, I didn’t think I’d still be in the mix later on. But I was able to recover, and that’s something I’m happy with. I didn’t go over my limit. These kinds of deep efforts are exactly what I need heading into the World Championships – they’re a good way to build top form.”

Friday’s stage wasn’t just a chance to test his form; it was also an objective in itself. Van der Poel made no secret of his desire to take a stage win at the Renewi Tour, and with that goal now ticked off, he’s open to seeing how far he can go in the GC battle. “I’ll definitely give it a go,” he said when asked about the overall. “Saturday’s stage is a tricky one, and Sunday’s going to be hard. But the aim was to win a stage, and I’ve done that. Everything else is a bonus.”

As it stands, Van der Poel sits just behind De Lie in the general classification, with two potentially decisive days still to come. Whether or not he mounts a serious bid for the overall remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: even without top form, Van der Poel’s engine – and ambition – are firing just fine.

And with the Mountain Bike World Championships fast approaching, Friday’s ride might be less about the result and more about what it signals: Mathieu van der Poel is sharpening the blade.