"In the break with Wout van Aert, I deliberately didn’t fully commit” - Mathieu van der Poel’s tactical masterclass helps deliver Jasper Philipsen In Flanders Fields win

Mathieu van der Poel’s role in Jasper Philipsen’s victory at In Flanders Fields was far from accidental, with the Dutchman revealing a deliberately measured approach in the decisive phase of the race.

After helping shape the race on the Kemmelberg alongside Wout van Aert, Van der Poel resisted the instinct to fully commit to the move, instead riding with a clear team objective in mind.

“I’m quite satisfied with the race I rode,” Van der Poel said in conversation with VTM Nieuws. “The agreements within the team were clear, and the communication was excellent."

"Even though I hadn’t fully recovered from E3 Saxo Classic and didn’t have my best legs, I felt okay," the former world champion added. "I’m especially happy with how we raced as a team. This race wasn’t yet on our palmarès.”

The defining moment of the race came on the Kemmelberg, where Van der Poel’s acceleration split the front group and brought only Van Aert with him, with Florian Vermeersch briefly holding on before being distanced.

From there, the race became a two-man effort at the front, but Van der Poel’s approach was notably restrained given the situation. “In the break with Wout, I deliberately didn’t fully commit,” he explained. “I wanted to save energy for a possible sprint, but at the same time, we forced the peloton to keep chasing. That put Jasper in a perfect position.”

That balance proved decisive. By keeping the pressure on without fully investing, Van der Poel ensured the move remained dangerous enough to demand a chase, while still preserving the team’s strongest card behind. “You know they’re going to come back from behind, and although I was prepared for a sprint, I didn’t have full confidence in it today,” he added. “Wout also rode a really strong race.”

Van der Poel’s ride marked a clear departure from his typically aggressive style, with the Dutchman consciously adapting his approach to suit the team’s broader objective. “My acceleration on the Kemmelberg was actually my only real attack,” he said. “Apart from that, I rode a fairly defensive race. That might be a bit against my nature, but tactically it was the right choice.”

As the peloton closed in during the final kilometres, the move with Van Aert was eventually brought back, but the damage had already been done. The sustained effort behind, combined with the disruption caused by late attacks, left a reduced group to contest the finish.

From there, Philipsen completed the job.

Despite not contesting the win himself, Van der Poel took clear encouragement from both his own condition and the collective strength of the team. “Heading into next week, the recovery should be fine,” he said. “The combination of E3 and this race is physically very demanding, but the form of the team gives a lot of confidence.”

With the Tour of Flanders looming, that confidence could prove significant. On a day when Van der Poel did not need to win, his influence was still decisive in shaping the outcome.