Mathieu van der Poel was dominant over the winter on his return to cyclocross, taking a record equalling 7th Rainbow Jersey win in Lievin. After a short rest and a well deserved skiing, the time for the Alpecin-Deceuninck leader to return to road racing is almost here.
As it turns out, Van der Poel will open his road campaign in Italy at Tirreno-Adriatico between March 10-16. It will be the fourth time in his career than Van der Poel has taken on the Italian stage race. From there, the Dutchman begins his Classics work, firstly at Milano-Sanremo (March 22nd), a monument Van der Poel helped teammate Jasper Philipsen win in 2024, before the former world champion travels to Belgium to take on the E2 Saxo Classic (March 28th) and the Tour of Flanders (April 6th), where he will look to become the first rider ever to win the Belgian monument on four separate occasions.
Finally, Van der Poel returns to France, firstly at Paris-Roubaix on April 13th, before starting another Tour de France campaign on the 5th of July. Van der Poel has won on the iconic cobbles of Paris-Roubaix the last two years, but has flattered to deceive at the Tour de France. With no World Championship appearance in Rwanda now officially confirmed, could this be the year that the Dutch star shows the best of himself at the most watched cycling race on the planet?
"I will start in Tirreno-Adriatico because this is the best preparation for Milano-Sanremo. And after that? The same as in previous years. I will not go to the World Championships. I will ride the Tour again. There are a few opportunities for me in the first week,” explains Van der Poel at his press conference. "Do I want to be the first to win the Tour of Flanders four times? It's like the Cyclocross World Championships: I'm more concerned with the race than with the record. Gent-Wevelgem will definitely not be this year. Dwars door Vlaanderen will also be decided later. I'd rather win the Tour four times than Gent-Wevelgem for the first time.”
Mathieu van der Poel's confirmed road racing calendar for 2025
Tirreno-Adriatico (March 10-16)
Milano-Sanremo (March 22)
E3 Saxo Classic (March 28)
Tour of Flanders (April 6)
Paris-Roubaix (April 13)
Tour de France (July 5-27)
Milano-Sanremo (March 22)
E3 Saxo Classic (March 28)
Tour of Flanders (April 6)
Paris-Roubaix (April 13)
Tour de France (July 5-27)
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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- He is boring
leedorney08-11-2026 - To Twoje przemyślenia te bla, bla :)
Dariusz08-11-2026 - Uwielbiam patrzeć, jak wyjeżdża na czoło peletonu i zaczyna się rzeź...Dariusz08-11-2026
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parisbound0008-11-2026 - there needs to be space in life for pointless comments!Ketterechts08-11-2026
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- Yes, so why not make comments less pointless?Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
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