Mathieu van der Poel ramps up training in Spain as Omloop Het Nieuwsblad decision nears

The clock is ticking. With just days to go until Omloop Het Nieuwsblad opens the Belgian Classics season, Mathieu van der Poel has intensified his preparation in Spain, logging a demanding five-hour training ride on the Costa Blanca as speculation continues over whether he will appear at the start in Ghent.

According to a ride uploaded to Strava by his training partner Freddy Ovett, the Dutchman covered 157 kilometres around Denia, accumulating nearly 2,700 metres of elevation gain in a session that lasted close to five hours.

It was not a recovery spin or a light opener. It was a serious workload.

Whether it signals an imminent race debut remains unconfirmed. But it certainly does not suggest a rider easing into his spring.

Van der Poel previously made clear that any call on Omloop would come late. After his cyclocross campaign, he acknowledged that the Opening Weekend was “at the back of my mind”, but insisted the final decision would only be made in the week of the race.

That week has now arrived.

Historically, Van der Poel has not always opened his road campaign at Omloop. His springs are often built around carefully timed entries into the cobbled block, with peak condition targeted toward Milano-Sanremo and the Monuments that follow. A start in Ghent would therefore represent either a shift in approach or a reflection of how smoothly his build-up has progressed.

The scale of Monday’s training ride suggests the latter.

Training in the hills of the Costa Blanca is nothing unusual for Van der Poel. Spain has long been a base for his winter and pre-season blocks, offering steady climbing and predictable weather. What stands out is timing.

Nearly 2,700 metres of climbing in a single ride, just days before Opening Weekend, points to a rider still building intensity rather than tapering prematurely. It aligns with a controlled build rather than a rushed return.

Crucially, there has been no official confirmation from his team regarding Omloop participation. The decision remains pending, as Van der Poel himself indicated previously.

But the workload suggests readiness is not the limiting factor.

Should Van der Poel line up at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, the implications extend beyond a simple season opener. The Spring Classics this year are once again expected to revolve around his rivalry with Tadej Pogacar, with both riders having shaped recent editions of Milano-Sanremo, the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix.

An early appearance in Belgium would inject immediate intrigue into the season narrative. Even if Pogacar is not present at Omloop itself, the tone of the Classics campaign would be set.

For now, though, it remains a question mark.

The kilometres are done. The climbing is banked. The decision, as promised, comes this week.

And until that confirmation arrives, the only certainty is that Van der Poel is training like a rider preparing for something significant.