Van der Poel leaves door open for Strade Bianche return after ‘different winter’

Speaking to Wielerflits at the start of stage 2 of the Tirreno-Adriatico, three days after the race won by Tadej Pogačar, Van der Poel reflected on his absence and revealed there is a small sense of regret.

“Do I regret it? A little bit, yes,” he said when asked about skipping the race. “Of course it is a race I would love to ride. But the plan [for this season] we made is a good one, I think, after a cyclocross season.”

The comment hints at a bigger strategic choice in Van der Poel’s calendar. His winter has traditionally revolved around cyclocross, and inevitably shapes the way his road season begins. 

After winning his eighth world title in the discipline in Hulst, he again expressed his doubts about a different approach, something he had already mentioned in December.

“I honestly have not decided yet,” he admitted. The decision is not only emotional, but also logistical, because his road schedule keeps expanding. “Now the winter seems long, but that is also because of the road planning. If you race longer and start again earlier, then the winter feels less long.”

Looking at Strade Bianche, Mathieu van der Poel is not discouraged by the increased difficulty of the race. “The race is what it is. They should not adapt it to how I would like it. It is simply a very tough race. I think Saturday showed again that it will always be difficult to win there. But if you only start races you can win, then I would not start in Tirreno Adriatico either. I would love to return there one day.”

With these words, the 31-year-old Dutchman responded to comments from his team manager Christoph Roodhooft, who explained last week the decision not to start Van der Poel in the race in an interview with Het Nieuwsblad:

“In the past this race was already on the limit for classic riders with explosive power. Back then it was just manageable. Now it has gone beyond that limit,” Roodhooft said.

He added that the level of opposition matters just as much: “When Mathieu won in 2021, he had to beat Egan Bernal. That was not easy either. But if you come up against a Tom Pidcock or a Tadej Pogačar at one hundred percent, it would become very, very difficult for him. And in that case, Mathieu is better off focusing on other races.”

Today, Van der Poel will still get a touch of gravel in the second stage of Tirreno Adriatico, which features a short gravel section in the finale and where the Dutchman is certainly among the favourites for the stage victory.