"Who knows what will become possible" - Adrie van der Poel surprised with Mathieu's win and eager for spring classics

Mathieu van der Poel's victory at Milano-Sanremo was the highlight of the week, and a performance which came as a shock as his form dramatically improved over the week. Among those surprised with the triumph was his father Adrie, who has analyzed Mathieu's ride on Saturday,

“I thought it was one of his strongest rides ever. Especially on the flat, I found him calm and quiet on the bike. It was stamped, it was moving forward," Adrie van der Poel told Het Laatste Nieuws. "While you saw more doggedness on those other faces. Wout, Filippo and Tadej clearly had to go deep on the Poggio. It is not an immense difference, but they were slightly less in the final”

Van der Poel only stated his season at Strade Bianche, but what he showed there and in Tirreno-Adriatico was very far from his best level. So far that he was only being considered by most an outsider for Milano-Sanremo. However, such as in 2022 - where he started his season in the monument - he sprung into great form.

“With such a short preparation and no competition rhythm, it was absolutely not easy there. And in Tirreno I was especially struck by the enormous tranquility he radiated," van der Poel senior shared. "Okay, it didn't work out the way it should. But he didn't care. He just needed that stage race to get to his best level. That was not highlighted enough. In the end, it was also the right decision of the team to keep him in Italy afterwards. It paid off.”

The tough pace was what van der Poel needed. Having assisted Jasper Philipsen to two stage wins, there was motivation within Alpecin-Deceuninck who only had their first triumph there. The motivation was a big part of the team's performance in Sanremo. Now, with this win under the bag, the pressure is off for the Dutchman, and on for most of his rivals.

“Maybe we can add a little bit more, yes. In any way. By building in extra rest or training, the numbers will have to show. And who knows what will become possible. The fact is: he already has this one. It will give him the necessary rest and make him race differently. More relaxed. Because his spring can't go wrong anyway," Adrie van der Poel concluded.