Mathieu van der Poel was one of the big favourites for today's Strade Bianche. It was only his first race of the season however, and that was visible as the Dutchman struggled in the race he had won in 2021.
"The feeling wasn't that bad, but personally I didn't expect the best version of myself right now," van der Poel told reporters at the Piazza del Campo in Siena. “I still need some race hardness and that is normal. I survived the most difficult gravel sections well, but my legs were not good enough to follow the decisive attack.”
Van der Poel, like all main contenders, did not answer to the initial attack of Tom Pidcock which ended up earning him a brilliant solo victory. The Alpecin-Deceuninck leader, successor of Pidcock as cyclocross World Champion, responded at the exist of Monte Sante Marie, but that was the last time he would be in contention for a top position.
As the race settled afterwards, van der Poel did not have the legs to follow the strongest chasers. He was then battling for minor spots, with the Top10 at best. "I'm not disappointed at all," he admits however. "I will continue to build on my form in Tirreno-Adriatico next week. That is exactly what we had in mind when we put together my program.”
Van der Poel crossed the line in 15th position in the first big group. As he builds towards the cobbled classics, it was a modest first day out - a brutal one however. “We knew that the period between the Cyclo-cross World Cup and Strade Bianche was going to be short. I've tried to be good here, but the best version of myself is yet to come," he concluded.
After taking two weeks off the bike in February the result doesn't come as a surprise. Van der Poel now moves to Tirreno-Adriatico where he will have more opportunities to test himself and build form ahead of his main goals.
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