"The past two days really took their toll, with the bad weather" - Mathieu van der Poel digging deep in Tirreno-Adriatico

Through relentless rain and freezing temperatures, Mathieu van der Poel has shown strong form this week at Tirreno-Adriatico, using the race as crucial preparation for Milano-Sanremo and the cobbled classics.

The Dutchman has been tested by the extreme weather conditions, acknowledging the sheer difficulty of recent stages.

"It was also Dutch-Belgian weather yesterday, so it was another pretty hellish stage," Van der Poel told Eurosport.

Friday’s Stage 5 features a hilly finale, with two punishing climbs expected to separate the strongest riders. The profile is similar to a stage in the 2023 edition, where Van der Poel claimed a spectacular victory. However, he was quick to point out a key difference.

"That was from an early breakaway, to make a side note. It is just difficult to estimate how difficult it really is, and what the climbers are going to do today."

During the final kilometres of Stage 4, Van der Poel launched an attack, but was reeled in by a powerful solo effort from Filippo Ganna. Despite the Italian’s strength, Van der Poel wasn’t shocked by what he saw.

"I think he is in reasonably good shape, but I am not impressed. I think everyone knows how strong Ganna is as a rider, and he has also been close a few times in Sanremo, so he is someone to be reckoned with."

After two gruelling days of racing in brutal weather, Van der Poel admits that his energy levels will dictate his ambitions for Stage 5.

"The past two days really took their toll, with the bad weather. They were also two tough rides, so we'll see how my legs feel today."

He also highlighted just how extreme the conditions have been, noting that even seasoned professionals struggled to cope with the cold, "I haven't experienced weather like this very often. Yesterday, half of the peloton also stopped to change at the car, so I think it's the same for everyone."

The impact of the cold was particularly evident in the sprint, where he felt noticeably drained, "If I look at the sprint values: there wasn't much left, but that was the case for everyone, I think."