"Mathieu was riding 38 km/h alone, and the whole team was riding about 33 km/h...": Former coach about Van der Poel's training routine
Cycling
There's no denying that the nowadays cycling has two main superstars who stand above everyone else: Tadej Pogacar and Mathieu van der Poel. Since the 2023 Lombardia, only Van der Poel's teammate Jasper Philipsen has been able to triumph in a Monument (Milano-Sanremo 2024), massively helped the Dutchman. That leaves no room for doubt about the duo's overwhelming dominance in one-day racing.
"Van der Poel, of course," his former coach at Alpecin, Michel Cornelisse, said on the podcast De Grote Plaat when asked which one rider would he add to his spring team, if he had freedom of choice. "Not only a great rider, but also a fantastic person. He's just a very normal guy. I think the same about the others (Pogacar, Van Aert, etc.), by the way."
Alongside Tadej Pogacar, Van der Poel is the closest of active cyclists to winning every Monument, having already added three (3x Roubaix, 3x Flanders, 2x SanRemo) to his collection. The next goal could be Liege-Bastogne-Liege as Il Lombardia seems to Pogacar's playground at the moment (five consecutive titles).
"That would be great for his list alone. I think he's definitely up for it," the Dutchman said of his compatriot's potential shot at glory at La Doyenne. The race has also been dominated by Pogacar in last two years, however Van der Poel is not without chances with 3rd place in 2024 on his second participation.
The secret weapon of aliens
What is key to Van der Poel's success? Does the secret lie within his compact racing schedule? Cornelisse admits that by racing less, Van der Poel (and Pogacar) are capable of giving out 100 percent on the most important day without "wasting" energy riding preparation races with increased risk of crashes.
"It's perhaps his quality that he goes to races when he's 100 percent. That he rides very little, but wins a lot." In a sense, this also applies to Tadej Pogacar. "Those kinds of guys don't go somewhere thinking: 'I might be able to win.' They go there thinking: 'I can win.'"
Cornelisse is therefore full of praise for Pogacar. "I think it's definitely on his way to be the first rider to win all the classics. I think he can do that." But then he'll have to deal with MVDP who has effectively stopped Pogacar's advance at both Milano-Sanremo and Paris-Roubaix in the past: "He still often runs into Van der Poel, who has a slightly better final sprint than he does. That always makes it difficult."
Inhuman numbers
Not so long ago, we have seen Pogacar complete a solo training session of 3 hours with an average power output of 300 watts. For Van der Poel to be able to match that, his trainings are often just as intensive, if not more. Cornelisse then recalls an anecdote from his
"I once spoke with Planckaert (Van der Poel's teammate, ed.). They were in Calpe at the time. Mathieu was riding 38 km/h on his own, and the whole team was riding about 33 km/h... Within 8 hours, Mathieu had ridden more than 30 kilometers ahead of them," Cornelisse explains MVDP's incredible training efforts.
"I experienced it myself in the past with Jelle Nijdam [winner of Amstel Gold Race and six Tour de France stages, ed.]. He trained like a beast, and I was right on his wheel... he won the classics, and I won the kermis races," concludes the former winner of Nokere Koerse.
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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