Mathieu van der Poel is back! Alpecin star makes winning return to the road at Le Samyn 2025
Cycling
Mathieu van der Poel has made a triumphant return to the road, taking victory at Le Samyn 2025 in a dominant uphill sprint ahead of Soudal - Quick-Step youngster Paul Magnier.
After his last-minute change in programme to open his season at this race, all eyes were on Mathieu van der Poel at the startline. Once the racing began though, eight riders managed to form the breakaway, getting some attention of their own, including British teen Sebastian Grindley from the Lidl-Trek development team.
With 65km to go though, Van der Poel himself launched an attack from behind, and although he was brought back relatively quickly, the acceleration in pace brought the peloton breathing right down the necks of the break. With 55km to go, that catch was complete. Soon after, Van der Poel tried another testing attack, but perhaps proving he wasn't yet at his best level, the former world champion proved unable to split things.
By 35km to go though, a nine-man move did eventually manage to get separation at the front of the bunch, including notable names such as Lewis Bower, Samuel Gaze, Taco van der Hoorn, Martin Svrcek, Cedric Beullens, Thomas Gachignard, Axel Heuns, Noah Vandenbranden and Killian Theot. Although they had managed to get over a minute advantage relatively quickly, the lack of true cooperation in the lead group and the desire of teams such as Uno-X Mobility to chase ensured the attackers were only 25 seconds clear by the time the final lap began.
Disastrously for Arnaud De Lie, bad luck struck once more this season for the Belgian national champion, as he had an ill-timed mechanical to put him out the back of the peloton at 18km to go. At the front meanwhile, things all came back together at around 15km to go, with those who had attacked being swallowed up by the bunch.
Luca van Boven, Alec Segaert and Timo Kielich launched the next attack, and the trio were narrowly dangling out ahead of the peloton heading into the last 5km of the day. All three were caught by the final cobbled section though and despite big pressure at the front of the bunch, there were no further attacks before the finale, leaving an uphill sprint to decide the day. In the fight for the line, Mathieu van der Poel opened things up, and despite Paul Magnier's best efforts, there was no stopping the Alpecin-Deceuninck leader.
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- The truth is already out pendejo and you were caught.
MrCampy06-04-2025 - So why did Tadej say, in an interview, when he won Flanders and was asked if he would try Roubaix next, that he would need to gain more body weight before he thinks of Roubaix? Tadej weighs 25 lbs. lighter than MVDP, last I checked.FredMan06-04-2025
- This is a race Brandon McNulty can win if his form has improved. I'll be pulling for him.awp06-04-2025
- I don’t know how generalised it is but in every race in every country I’ve participated in you either need to show a club licence (which you only get by having a medical around every 2-3 years) or by having a doctors’ aptitude certificate. Can’t ask for much more. Don’t forget, 15000 people (of which quite some are well into the latter part of life), that’s a small town where people will have medical issues every day even without cycling hard. In one country I lived in you even have to do a full ECG and power test regularly to ride competitively after 50.Mistermaumau05-04-2025
- Before or after their kids get married to each other ;-)Mistermaumau05-04-2025
- Ok guys, both of you, this is far too complex to debate as a whole as there are dozens of variables and none of the conditions have been rigidly defined, what’s more, everyone is looking at things from a different angle and for a different purpose so let’s go back to the real basics first to see if we can agree on some starting principles. If you throw a golf ball or ping pong ball (assuming same size here) at the same speed in the same direction, which is going to land further? Ditto if you launch them with the same power? If two identical riders of 70 and 80kg (lets assume the extra 10kg is just bones and drinks and lunch) on identical bikes ride side by side at speed X with zero wind (or alternatively a really strong head wind) and both stop pedalling at the same time, which is going to roll further or come to a stop sooner? The wind force does inevitably come into play but I want to keep an open mind as to the effect it has in situ in practice because it obviously isn’t the only criteria and with acem82’s example it’s highly likely that wind is more minor but that wouldn’t be true for every real-life situation. Regarding cobbles, that’s an extremely complex motion to analyse, you can call it bouncing or hopping or climbing or what you like but in reality it’s indescribable and only high precision analysis can tell you exactly how much of each effect is contributing for each rider at each speed and every tire pressure/behaviour, you will NEVER manage to say that one criteria alone governs the whole efficiency equation.Mistermaumau05-04-2025
- Medical test should be mandatory before participationabstractengineer05-04-2025
- You are completely wrongvappaxbipmv05-04-2025
- Tadej has a little more chance. It will be an exciting race and the most important thing is that no one gets hurt.
maria2024202405-04-2025 - Whatever happens tomorrow... it'll be a hell of a raceslappers6605-04-2025