UAE Team Emirates expressed interest in signing Mathieu van der Poel according to Amstel Gold Race director

Mathieu van der Poel and Tadej Pogacar have had numerous battles during the recent spring classics. According to the race director of the Amstel Gold Race, Leo van Vliet though they were almost riding on the same team.

"Last year in the Giro I spoke to Mauro Gianetti for a long time," van Vliet reveals to the WielerFlits Podcast. Gianetti is the Team Principal at UAE Team Emirates and their discussion involved a certain Dutch superstar says van Vliet. "He also said that he would like to have Van der Poel in his team.”

The possibility of van der Poel and Pogacar working together in races such as Paris-Roubaix and the Tour of Flanders is a frightening prospect for any rival who would harbour hopes of victory. But just how likely a prospect really was it?

“Wouldn't I be able to take care of that… I told him to call his father," van Vliet says referring to Adrie van der Poel. “I did tell Adrie, because he did something for the Amstel Gold Race in the spring. But he shrugged his shoulders. I think Van der Poel is good where he is. It is special that he was the only crosser who became a road racer with that team, and if you see what that team is doing now."