"On that day, Mathieu van der Poel cracked Tadej Pogacar’s code" - Jose De Cauwer recalls highlights of 2025's Spring Classics

With the Spring Classics concluded for another year, there have been a number of standout performances across the 2025 campaign. The likes of Tadej Pogacar, Mathieu van der Poel and others have ensured some memorable racing and following the former's Liege-Bastogne-Liege solo last Sunday afternoon, Sporza analyst Jose De Cauwer has reflected on some of the highlights of the Spring.

"You’d think it wasn’t a great season because one rider stood head and shoulders above the rest. But it was a beautiful spring," begins the experienced Belgian cycling expert in conversation with Karl Vannieuwkerke post-Liege-Bastogne-Liege. "Let’s start with Strade Bianche. Tadej Pogacar wins the race despite a heavy crash. We also saw a very strong Tom Pidcock there. Then came Milano-Sanremo, with a brilliant win by Mathieu van der Poel — definitely a highlight."

"The battle in Paris-Roubaix was top-notch too. In that race, Pogacar showed a bit of vulnerability. He crashes, fights his way back to within 12 seconds, but then cracks," De Cauwer recalls. "On that day, Van der Poel cracked Pogacar’s code, so to speak."

It hasn't just been about Pogacar and UAE Team Emirates - XRG though. "Should we give a special mention this spring to Lidl-Trek as a team?" Vannieuwkerke mentions. "There was the emergence of Thibau Nys, Mattias Skjelmose’s victory at the Amstel Gold Race, Mads Pedersen’s win in Gent Wevelgem — and Pedersen also held his own against Pogacar and Van der Poel in Paris-Roubaix."

"Absolutely. Lidl-Trek gets top marks," De Cauwer agrees. "And then there’s Team Visma | Lease a Bike, a team that needs to reset. Is that Wout van Aert’s fault? Not at all. It’s just the way things went — Christophe Laporte dropped out, Dylan van Baarle wasn’t where he needed to be. Other teams are in the same boat. At Soudal – QuickStep, they also need to reassess things. What’s coming down the pipeline for next year? Will Remco Evenepoel stay or not? A few teams have some serious homework to do."

"What I’ve noticed is that the obsession with marginal gains, with finding the ultimate edge, seems to be fading," concludes De Cauwer's analysis. "I get the feeling that the riders who are at peace with themselves, who race from the heart, have the upper hand right now. And I think that’s the direction we need to go in again."