Naesen on Van der Poel, Pogacar and UAE’s 'TGV': 'With those two, there’s not much dreaming'

“With those two at the start, there’s not much dreaming, and then they also have a world-class team that sacrifices itself completely,” Naesen told In de Leiderstrui when asked what it feels like to line up for De Ronde against those names. 

“How many times has Nils Politt finished top five? He was almost a contender himself, but now he shouldn’t even think about a result.” 

Is it unhealthy for the sport, this sense that the biggest races can feel pre-decided before the first cobbles? Naesen did not offer a clean verdict. “That’s a difficult one,” he said. “The market is fairly self regulating. With Sky, a revolution came and teams followed it, but some also collapsed because of it.” 

Still, he cannot ignore what one team in particular is doing right now. “The way UAE are doing it with all those wins and UCI points is kind of unbelievable,” he said. “They win everywhere, and basically without a real sprinter.”

The effect, he suggested, is felt most sharply in the tactical conversations everyone has in January and February, the talk of anticipating and getting ahead of the favourites. Naesen was unconvinced, because the picture for him is already clear.

“You have to think about it,” he said. “For Flanders it’s often about anticipating, but what are you going to do? Anticipate when there’s a TGV train behind you that can ride to the foot of the second time Oude Kwaremont and then let the leader do his thing?”

He did not see an obvious fix inside the course itself. “On the first time Kwaremont you can’t do it, because your energy becomes the limiting factor. I don’t see the solution,” Naesen said, describing the modern peloton as a place where the margins for improvisation shrink with every season.

Looking forward, Naesen also touched on the sport’s next fascination, his teammate Paul Seixas, and he tried to put a lid on the easy comparisons. “He’s outstanding, but what we really must not say is the new Pogačar. That does Pogačar a disservice,” Naesen said. “But he is truly exceptional.”

What interests Naesen is not only talent, but temperament, and he sees something in Seixas that could help him handle what comes next. “Everything also just slides off him,” he said.

“If he goes to the Tour this year, which I would really recommend, that’s the only time it can be without pressure. If he finishes eighth, that’s great. If he goes to the Tour after already finishing fifth in the Vuelta, that brings expectations.”

Then he lingered on a detail that, to Naesen, matters as much as the big numbers. “You have young riders who arrive already hyper professional, they know everything and can do everything,” he said. “But someone like Paul… He forgot his shoes, didn’t charge his bike computer and arrived without a heart rate strap. There is still room there, he’s super relaxed. And that’s a gift.”