Van der Poel scouts Paris Roubaix alongside his debuting lookalike protégé
Mathieu van der Poel returned to the cobbles of Paris Roubaix on Friday, fine tuning his preparation just two days before the race. But it was not only the Dutchman’s presence that stood out, as he was joined by an unexpected training partner, Tibor Del Grosso, who was later confirmed in the team’s line up.
Among the riders taking part in the reconnaissance was Tibor Del Grosso, who had not originally been listed to start Paris-Roubaix. His presence on the cobbles quickly fuelled speculation that Alpecin-Premier Tech could be considering a late addition to their line up.
Del Grosso’s appearance was all the more notable given the path he had mapped out for the spring. Rather than targeting the biggest Classics, he opted for a more gradual programme, focusing on smaller races to build experience. That approach paid off last week, with the young Dutchman taking victory at the NXT Classic.
Later on Friday, it was confirmed that the rider, often compared to Mathieu van der Poel, will make his debut in the Hell of the North.
Van der Poel, chasing a fourth consecutive victory, kept his approach characteristically minimal. Unlike riders such as Tadej Pogačar, who have spent extended periods training on the northern French cobbles in recent months, the Dutchman only visited the course this week.
“There are not many riders in the peloton who actually enjoy training on cobbles,” Van der Poel explained at yesterday's press conference. “I don’t either. We avoid bad roads as much as possible. Only during recon rides for races like E3 and Flanders, and then in the races themselves.”
Even on Friday, his time on the course was measured. One sector in particular, Verchain-Maugré to Quérénaing, was ridden twice, likely to fine tune details such as tyre pressure and equipment choice. Van der Poel was also seen switching bikes during the session according to Het Laatste Nieuws.
Despite the relatively light preparation, his record on the cobbles speaks for itself. The three time winner relies on instinct.
“It’s a mix of power and how you ride over the cobbles,” he said. “You have to pick the right lines and not be too aggressive in the corners to avoid crashes and bad luck.”
Within the team, that feel for the terrain is seen as something that cannot simply be trained.
As Christoph Roodhooft told Het Laatste Nieuws: “You can’t really teach riding cobbles. It’s instinct as much as technique. Some riders just have a natural feel, they move with the bike instead of fighting it, especially on the roughest sectors.”
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