Tom Boonen advices Mathieu van der Poel "to not risk" by riding Gent - Wevelgem and E3 with hand injury
Cycling
It was probably bound to eventually happen one day, but Tadej Pogacar finally broke Mathieu van der Poel at the 2026 Milano-Sanremo. However their battle was heavily influenced by a crash that occured before the race's finale, leaving Pogacar severely bruised and Van der Poel with a visible left hand injury. While adrenaline rush got the two men through the final hour of the race, consequences of this fall could carry over to the cobbled Monuments.
While Pogacar didn't look as impacted in his performances as he attacked his last year's climbing times, Van der Poel lost ground on Poggio. Not good news for the cobbles where Van der Poel aims to return to Tour of Flanders throne while attempting a four-peat at Paris-Roubaix.
Fellow cobbles legend Tom Boonen fears Van der Poel's hand injury could prove an issue during the oncoming classics campaign: "I saw that hand and it was swollen, and I fear it is worse than we think," he said on the LSRF podcast.
The Belgian then shares his own experience with a similar predicament: "I fell on my hands once. Nothing broken, but the tendon was exposed and they stitched the wound," he recalls. "Then I developed an infection from continuing to race in bad weather. I made it to Roubaix by the skin of my teeth," he says, indicating how close his participation was. "Hands are very important for a cyclist. I really hope it’s not too bad."
Too much to lose, too little to gain
Boonen further points out that, depending on the nature of his injury, harsh weather conditions could worsen the state of his hand. And the forecast is definitely not expecting a sunny day out at Gent - Wevelgem and E3 Saxo Classic. "They’ve predicted awful weather."
Rain and cold are one thing, but the Flemish Ardennes bring with them a unique and dangerous element, especially in the spring. "People don’t realize that in Flanders you’re riding through wet manure then. Farmers have been driving [their agricultural tools there] and the shit is on the road."
Mathieu van der Poel's biggest opponent will be Tadej Pogacar. Will he prevail at Roubaix for a second year in a row?
An open wound thus becomes an open door for infections. And battling an infection when your challenger is such a phenomenal cyclist that Tadej Pogacar is, that's the last thing any rider would wish. Thus, for Boonen the next course of action is clear: "Racing in the rain is certainly not advisable, especially with wounds. An infection can develop quickly, certainly about five days later."
With Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix in mind, is it worth for the risk for the Dutchman and his team Alpecin-Premier Tech? Boonen is clear: "You really should avoid that."
According to Boonen, the focus must be entirely on the Monuments on the schedule. "I wouldn’t have ridden Gent-Wevelgem and the E3. Especially with Roubaix and Flanders on the program. I wouldn’t risk it."
After all, Alpecin can play their other card - Jasper Philipsen - at the run-up events while Van der Poel saves his matches and focuses on a swift recovery to be at his best in two weeks from now. When it matters.
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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- many people advise him to grow slowly and rather do giro and/or vuelta instead of tdf. but i can totally understand that he is not satisfied with taking over once pogi declines, but instead beat him in his prime. so if he goes for tdf again, i‘m all for it. let‘s hope that pogi recovers soon!Ketterechts07-11-2026
- So gracious to offer something no-one would be prepared to pay for. The Giro is not the Tour and doesn’t command the same interest or attract the same “elite” (those willing to pay to be a part of something they consider has ego boosting potential). Roadside viewing will always largely remain free for everyone outside circuits. Introduction of a symbolic entrance to mountain climbs is worthy of exploration. Asking 1-2€ isn’t going to repulse real fans (most will spend 50-100€ on their outing that day all things included) but will prevent a portion of the total knobhead thrillseekers who will join in any large gathering as long as it’s free, just because they’re attracted to crowds, without which it it difficult for them to work up their anti-social behaviour.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- How is radio going to help when someone went over a cliff or bridge or off the roadside into a forest unnoticed and is laying there unconscious?Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Yep, next we’ll be accusing F1 drivers of avoiding Le Mans.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- But on what is that opinion based? Are you holding him to a different standard than others? Are you saying he should do learn to like something he doesn’t Are you saying he hasn’t achieved enough Are you saying he pretends to be better than his results? It’s actually a really strange opinion to oust if you consider it objectively or rationally. Try applying it to others or yourself by asking if not EVERYONE should then be doing more? Nobody in athletics or swimming gets criticism for not expanding their repertoire when a rival or someone else does. In fact, most who move to another event get accused of running from their rival. Opinions are boring, the reasons behind them are what count.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- for a medical chief to throw things like is just bad. There are already radios which were banned for spectacle. allow radios. Gps trackers are not a complete solutionabstractengineer07-11-2026
- Yeah man...PogiSloFans07-11-2026
- any rider less than 25 whether they are really ready for the position of leadership of GT is probably not the case. I think Pogi himself suffered when he was defeated by Jonas in the TDF twice. But that would be the team's job to ensure support so that they can bounce back. It requires a team and time to get back up and win after getting knocked down.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I'm very glad he got the big late Quickstep Vuelta win and I hope he has a few left for Euskaltel-Euskadi.flyer07-11-2026
- My memories of Ivan Basso aren't good but I liked his sister Elisa ok.flyer07-11-2026
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