"We are starting to become more of a fixed event on the Tuesday after the Opening Weekend" - The Mathieu van der Poel effect: Dutchman transforms Le Samyn according to organisers
Cycling
Mathieu van der Poel made his 2025 road debut in emphatic
fashion yesterday, winning Le Samyn in what was a highly anticipated
appearance. His presence at the race not only influenced the competition itself
but also had a wider impact on the event, from spectator turnout to media
attention.
For the race organisers, Van der Poel’s participation was
both exciting and nerve wracking. Manuele Pirrello, speaking to Wielerflits,
explained how the anticipation built up in the days leading to the event.
“The news had been going around for a few days, but we had
no real certainty for a long time. Alpecin-Deceuninck had let us know that
there was a good chance that Mathieu would participate, but we still had to
wait a long time for the final selection. Of course we were very satisfied, but
on the other hand we were also very nervous,” laughs Pirrello.
His concerns weren’t just about the star power Van der Poel
would bring to the race, there was also the memory of his previous experience
at Le Samyn in 2021.
“Especially because his first participation with us in 2021
did not go so well. Then he broke his handlebars at the end of our last
cobblestone section, and we thought we would never see him again. That was an
unfortunate moment for his first experience with our race.”
This time, however, things went differently, with the
Dutchman claiming victory in dominant fashion.
Van der Poel’s return marked an important step for Le Samyn,
reinforcing its position in the early season calendar.
“That’s why it was a great opportunity for us to get back on
the same page and correct the skewed situation at the time,” said Pirrello.
“You can see that our race is starting to become part of the
regular program of a number of riders, we are starting to become more of a fixed
event on the Tuesday after the Opening Weekend. Riders like Arnaud De Lie and
Paul Magnier consciously choose not to participate in Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne to
score here.
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“For our race, it is a very big step that Mathieu came to
participate, but also that he won.”
Van der Poel’s participation didn’t just elevate the
competition, it significantly increased the attention around the event, such is
the Dutchman’s star power.
“Mathieu’s arrival had a significant effect on the turnout
of people at the start, finish, and on the course. These people arrived quite
early and were able to see Le Samyn des Dames finish, where in previous years
there may have been fewer people. The good weather probably helped, but the attention
was greater than we are used to.
“Also in terms of press people: accreditation requests flowed
in after the news was announced.”
Despite Van der Poel’s presence adding significant
commercial value to the race, Pirrello was keen to emphasise that this was
purely a sporting decision not a financial one.
“It is an interesting case. We certainly did not give
Alpecin-Deceuninck a bag of money. That means that Mathieu is not here to rake
in money, but because this race represents an interest for him in his
preparation. Isn’t that nice to see?”
With cobbled classics coming up in the next few weeks, Le
Samyn provided an ideal test for Van der Poel’s form ahead of his defence of
his Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix titles.
“I can imagine that this will be increasingly the case with
fans of cobblestone races. We have enough cobblestones in the final of the race,
so it is not a crazy idea that the big names come to prepare for the Tour of
Flanders and Paris-Roubaix in our race.
“We know that some cobblestone sections are a bit like
Paris-Roubaix. Our ambition is therefore to keep making progress.”
Beyond the men’s event, Le Samyn des Dames also stands to
benefit from this growth, with organisers planning to increase its UCI status.
“In 2025, the UCI status of our women’s race will have to be
raised by one or two categories,” says Pirrello.
“That’s why we’ve already hired Audrey Cordon-Ragot as a
‘godmother’ of our race. We realise that the level of women’s cycling is
getting higher and that there is sometimes a big difference between the
different riders.
“That’s why we also want to raise the ambitions of the race,
so that we don’t have to turn down any more WorldTeams. That was the case now.”
Fin MajorCycling Journalist
Fin Major is a UK-based writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2024. He is the site’s main writer for FAQs and evergreen explainers and has written around 2,000 pieces for the platform. Alongside this work, he focuses on in-depth analysis and covers the biggest races on the calendar, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, providing clear context around performance trends, tactics, and key storylines.
In his reporting, Fin uses reputable data sources such as 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. Outside of writing, Fin is an active cyclist, which supports his practical understanding of the sport and its demands.
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