"We certainly shouldn't underestimate Remco" - Mathieu van der Poel ready for 2026 Tour of Flanders

Mathieu van der Poel is ready for the 2026 Tour of Flanders after a spotless winter and a spring campaign which has so far brought him victories at Omloop het Nieuwsblad, E3 Saxo Classic and Tirreno-Adriatico. It is hard for the Dutchman to be better prepared for the cobbled monuments, and in the first of which he warns for the danger of Remco Evenepoel as an added favourite to the startlist.

“The E3 Saxo Classic and Middelkerke - Wevelgem were two very good tests. In Harelbeke, I really had to give it my all to take the win. It was exciting, but I managed it," van der Poel said in a press conference. 2In Wevelgem, I felt slightly less fresh because of that, so as a team we decided to go all out for Jasper Philipsen in the final phase. And that paid off.”

The Alpecin - Premier Tech crashed at Milano-Sanremo, where he suffered a minor hand injury, but aside from that he has not had to endure any major obstacle throughout the past few months. That puts him in the ideal form ahead of his main goals for the first half of the season.

“The weekend actually felt quite a bit like 2024. Back then, I also won the E3 Saxo Classic, and two days later in Wevelgem, I lacked the freshness to beat Mads Pedersen. But a week later, I won the Tour of Flanders," he argues.

"I have every confidence that this is the right preparation for both the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix. Over the past week in Spain, I have been looking for the right balance between finding those last few percentages and maintaining a fresh feeling.”

Alpecin don't have men who are expected to go deep into the race with van der Poel, but the race has become less tactical over the years and most likely from the Koppenberg onwards few to no of the leaders will have teammates around, and it will be a head-to-head between them.

“Silvan [Dillier] is standing next to me at the start of the Tour of Flanders for the sixth time in a row. Michael, Oscar, Edward, and Florian also bring a lot of experience, while Jonas Geens has developed very quickly in recent months since joining the team. They are all strong riders in whom I have complete confidence.”

Asked about the favourites, the response is obvious. “There might be even more favorites this year than last year. Starting with Tadej Pogacar, of course. But in recent weeks I’ve also seen a strong Wout van Aert, who is getting back to his best level. And Mads Pedersen is also improving race after race," he adds, although the Dane does not look to be in the form he had 12 months ago.

On the debuting Remco Evenepoel, van der Poel underlined that he is not just an outsider, and has very strong support from his own teammate Gianni Vermeersch who is now on the opposite side of the battle:

“And then there is the much-discussed participation of Remco Evenepoel. It is his first time here, but he is a top rider and he has a strong team around him. Just think of Gianni Vermeersch, who knows this race inside out. We certainly shouldn't underestimate Remco. And yes, I am happy that he is at the start. The more strong riders there are, the faster the race opens up. That is not a disadvantage for me.”

If the Dutchman wins this Sunday, he is going to achieve a feat that no other rider has in the history of the sport: Win a fourth Ronde. This winter he won his eighth cyclocross world title to break a record, and now he has the chance to do so once again.

“Of course I am aware of that, and it would be something very special. But I am approaching the race with the same mindset as always: to try to win," he said, trying to not put the pressure on himself which may backfire. Most of the pressure will in fact be on the shoulders of Tadej Pogacar who is the man to beat, and Wout Van Aert who is the years-long chaser of this title.

“If that ultimately leads to a record, I will cherish it. There was a time when winning the Tour of Flanders, even just once, felt like a distant dream. Becoming the sole record holder would be the ultimate achievement. But we are not there yet".