Victories in Flanders and Roubaix show Mathieu van der Poel’s solution to the Olympic dilemma

• Sunday April 7, 2024 at 8:51 PM

Opinion Mathieu van de Poel stated it himself in the press conference after his victory in Paris-Roubaix. The level he demonstrated in his 60 kilometer solo on his way to victory in the hell tour came close to his performance last year on the way to the world title in Glasgow. And ‘MVDP’ called that the very best thing he had ever shown.

We already said it last week after the Tour of Flanders: we should never consider these top performances by Mathieu van der Poel normal. Seven days later we can repeat those words. In fact, the ‘MVDP’ song performed in Paris-Roubaix was even bigger than in the High Mass of Flemish cycling.

On the cursed cobblestones of Northern Hell he started his solo in zone thirteen (!) of Orchies, 60 kilometers from the finish. At first glance, not the most difficult ‘sector’, but it is certainly a stretch to continue. In Flanders ‘MVDP’ waited until the Koppenberg at 45 kilometers. And where he spoke in the rain and cold of the Flemish monument about super tough final kilometers where he fought against a breakdown, he continued to fly over the cobblestones on the way to Roubaix as if a red carpet had been laid out for him. His lead over the Vélodrome André Pétrieux: exactly three (!) minutes over his pursuers.

With a leading role in Milan-San Remo in the service of winner Jasper Philipsen, victory in E3 Saxo Bank Classic, second place in Ghent-Wevelgem, victory in Tour of Flanders and a new cobblestone in Paris-Roubaix, Van der Poel has an unprecedented Flemish spring. It is clear that the 29-year-old Dutchman knows how to cycle himself to his best possible shape. Last year in Glasgow he needed the Tour de France to excel in a phenomenal way two weeks later in Glasgow. He tackled this classic period with a long training internship in the cycling paradise around Calpe, which is now his second home.

photo: Cor Vos

Father Adrie van der Poel is convinced that the partial move to the Costa Brava has been an extremely important step in his son’s development. There he found peace, ideal weather conditions and varied training courses. In addition, he has had to deal with enough injuries (especially to his back) and misery in recent years, as a result of which he has become aware that the years to win top prizes are not countless.

He spoke about this for the first time before the World Cup in Wollongong in 2022. The affair with the teenage girls in the Australian hotel corridor has only increased that hunger. Or as he said in the interview last winter with Vélo Magazine and RIDE Magazine said: “Ever since that incident in Australia I have had my sights set on the World Cup in Glasgow.”



The lesson of 2023 was that he mainly has to make choices. Last season he only had 43 racing days. “I have also realized that you are mainly judged on your results in the big competitions,” he responded at the end of last year. “It is logical that I want to continue that line after the successes of 2023.”

‘Training schedules as a guide to unprecedented success’
He already did that this spring. After an intensive but also balanced cross winter, he took a few days of rest. And then work towards the Flemish classics through a long training period. No Strade Bianche, no Tirreno-Adriatico to get the racing kilometers in, but suffering around the Coll des Rates.

An important boost for Mathieu van der Poel is that after this successful spring he now knows that he can also reach his very best level with training. Although he needed another Tour de France at the World Championships in Glasgow to get into top form, this time the training schedules led to this unprecedented success.

photo: Cor Vos

This could be the solution to the devilish dilemma towards the Olympic Games in Paris. Basically you would think that a copy paste last year would be the wisest solution. After all, the road race in Paris takes place two weeks after the Tour de France, just as the World Championships in Glasgow were also held fourteen days after the Tour. So ride the Tour de France in service of the Olympic road race. “Copy paste is never the best,” Adrie van der Poel rejected our statement.

We know that Mathieu van der Poel prefers to do the double mountain bike road race during Paris 2024. If he can reach his top form this summer without a Grand Tour, then that double could become realistic. Then his path to the Olympic Games could consist of a training camp, some mountain bike races and two to three road races in July to regain focus on the race rhythm and positioning.

In that respect, the road to victories in the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix may have brought him a lot closer to the double at the Olympic Games.