"It's his ultimate weapon..." - Dylan van Baarle on what makes Mathieu van der Poel one of the very best in the peloton

Mathieu van der Poel is a physiologically gifted rider, however his technical ability on the bike is perhaps what has him stand out from the race in the most difficult days of the year. That is the realization of his compatriot and classics specialist Dylan van Baarle, who often sees the Alpecin-Premier Tech rider move around the peloton in the most tense moments of the races.

The two have raced together at Omloop het Nieuwsblad, a race marked by crashes and chaos, something which van der Poel looked oblivious to. "It all started quite calmly and quietly at 't Kuipke [velodrome], where you obviously don't feel the wind. After a kilometer, we immediately felt the wind, and then everyone was on edge. It was complete chaos from start to finish," van Baarle said on the In Koers podcast.

"That makes it all the more remarkable how Mathieu pulls it off time and time again. Being in the right place on those roads every time, almost always forcing the pace himself. It's incredibly special that he does that. But if you're chasing the pace yourself, you get less enjoyment out of it than he does, I think".

His technical ability was not on hold, at the moment in which he avoided Tudor's Rick Pluimers who crashed on the climb where the winning move was made by Florian Vermeersch. That is one such moment that demonstrates the technical prowess of the Dutchman.

But above avoiding crashes, it is something van der Poel uses to save energy throughout the races. "I think he's technically one of the best in the peloton, if not the best. Even without pedaling, he can maneuver through the peloton. Not many guys can do that; it's his ultimate weapon, allowing him to get into the right positions."

Van Baarle himself struggled through Omloop, not finding his best legs or the rhythm in a chaotic environment; however at Kuurne - Bruxelles - Kuurne he was on the attack several times and put in a promising performance. After moving to Soudal - Quick-Step after a three-year stint at Visma, he has returned to a more high-volume program, which he believes could bring out the best of him.

"That did work out on Sunday [in Kuurne], later in the race. That gives me a lot of confidence, that my legs are at least good. Especially after a day like the one before, when I recovered well and was able to launch an attack. That gives me a lot of confidence for the rest of the classics".

Van Baarle is aiming for the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix, the latter being the biggest win of his career back in 2022. He has already done equipment testing in the cobbled sectors of northern France recently, something he is building up towards.

"I still have serious blisters on my right hand from that. It wasn't reconnaissance, but more equipment testing. It's all new to me on the cobblestones of Roubaix, so that's a really good thing to do."