Mathieu van der Poel (30) looks out at Milan-San Remo without pressure, the first big classic of the year on Saturday. “I am at an age when I have achieved almost all my goals, even more than that. That gives me a lot of peace of mind.”
Van der Poel had another preparation for the spring classic in Italy than in previous years. He recently rode Tirreno-Adriatico, but last week he took it easy.
The all-rounder on the bike knows what it is like to win Milan-San Remo. In 2023 he was too strong for the competition. “It is an unpredictable race. No coincidence that everyone says it is one of the monuments that you can win without necessarily the strongest rider. It all depends on what happens on the Poggio (a climb, ed.). Sometimes it is even better not to have the legs to attack, but simply to follow if someone else does a move.”
“The toughest moment is when the group is still together after the descent of the Poggio. You know that attacks are coming. That is perhaps the most dangerous moment of the race.”
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Van der Poel goes for the win and is not stressed as one of the favorites. “Everything that comes now is a bonus, and that makes racing more fun. But I still want to try to win the biggest races there are. This is a monument, so I am still very motivated.”
His biggest rival is most likely Tour de France winner Tadej Pogacar. “I am aware that I have to give 110 percent to beat Pogacar. That is always a good motivation.”
