Mathieu van der Poel has Milano-Sanremo, Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix in his palmarès. The Dutchman is one of the very few riders who have a chance of capturing all five monuments, but he believes this is quite hard. However, he does have the belief that Liège-Bastogne-Liège could one day fall his way.
"We haven't finalized the planning yet, so it is still a bit open. I would love to try Liège one day, but don't know if that would be for next year. It is a special season, with the Olympic Games," van der Poel admitted in the Geraint Thomas Cycling Club. "I rode Liège once, when I came sixth or so. That was good, but it was during the corona year. If everything falls into place I think I can get close, but if
Remco Evenepoel or
Tadej Pogacar participate it will be a different story. If they attack uphill, it becomes almost impossible for me to follow."
Van der Poel has already performed in the Ardennes, but the climbs of Liège are perhaps too long and steep for him to be able to keep up with some of his main rivals. However 2024 is unlikely to see a return to La Doyenne for the World Champion, as following the spring classics he should take some time to rest but also compete in MTB - which will be necessary both to prepare, and also to gather points for a better position in the MTB Olympic Games.
He admits also that he is unlikely to complete the Tour de France, if he is to be at the start line in Florence. "If I want to combine mountain biking and the road, it will be very difficult to finish the Tour [de France]. The Olympic mountain bike race is one week after the Tour. It is a difficult puzzle and I also like to do something different, so the Vuelta would be fun," he tells, open to the possibility of a new race on his calendar. "But it must fit into the schedule. Anyway, I'm really looking forward to next season."
Van der Poel has very good reasons too. After a stupendous 2023, he has effectively become an absolute superstar and the pressure for him to win is not as high. Victories in Sanremo, Flanders and both road and cyclocross World Championships - as well as a key role for
Alpecin-Deceuninck's success as he became a leadout man for Jasper Philipsen - saw him considred by many to be the season's best rider. He also gets to carry the rainbow stripes in both disciplines, and has started off his cyclocross season with an unrivalled victory in Herentals.
However, he believes that becoming World Champion in all three disciplines - including MTB - is more likely than winning all five monuments, because of a specific race in the calendar. "Lombardy is virtually impossible for me, so that is not something I am currently working on. Becoming world champion in the three disciplines is more realistic than winning the five Monuments, I think."
