Mathieu van der Poel is ready for the Tour of Flanders and he has only one objective in mind: to win his fourth Ronde, following his victories in 2020, 2022 and 2024. If the Dutchman manages to achieve this feat, he would become the first rider in history to win the Tour of Flanders four times. MVDP arrives in Antwerp after an excellent warm-up race at Harelbeke.

«The E3 Saxo Classic and Gand-Wevelgem were two excellent races. At Harelbeke I had to give my all to win. It was a tight battle, but in the end I managed it. At Wevelgem I felt a bit less fresh, so as a team we decided to focus everything on Jasper Philipsen in the final. And the choice proved to be the right one».

When van der Poel won the Tour of Flanders in 2024, he had followed a very similar preparation to this year's.
«Indeed, last weekend was very similar to 2024. Back then I also won the E3 Saxo Classic and two days later, at Wevelgem, I lacked the freshness to beat Mads Pedersen. But a week later I won the Tour of Flanders. I'm confident that this is the right preparation for both the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix. During the last week in Spain, I tried to find the right balance between finding those last percentages and maintaining my freshness».

In the race van der Poel will be able to count on Silvan Dillier, Jonas Geens, Michael Gogl, Edward Planckaert, Oscar Riesebeek and Florian Sénéchal. His is a strong lineup from which he will have the right support.

«Silvan Dillier will race alongside me at the Tour of Flanders for the sixth consecutive time. Michael, Oscar, Edward and Florian also have a lot of experience, while Jonas Geens has grown very rapidly in recent months since joining the team. They are all strong riders in whom I have full confidence».

Winning is never easy, particularly when racing such an important event
«We certainly present ourselves with a tactical plan, but in the end it always depends on how the race develops. As a team, we have the experience needed to adapt when necessary. There are obviously some certainties: as the distance increases and the climbs intensify, the strongest riders will move to the front. Positioning on the key climbs is always fundamental».

As a three-time winner, Mathieu van der Poel knows he is among the main favorites and others will watch him carefully to try to surprise him or respond promptly to his attacks. «It's part of the game and it doesn't bother me anymore. When you're in form, you're automatically considered one of the favorites. I take it as a compliment and it doesn't change the way I race».

Van der Poel and Tadej Pogacar are the super favorites, but many things can happen in a race and other riders could come into play.
«This year there could be even more favorites than last year. Starting with Tadej Pogacar, of course. But in recent weeks I've also seen Wout van Aert in excellent form, returning to his best level. Mads Pedersen has also improved race after race. And then there's, of course, the much-discussed participation of Remco Evenepoel. It's his first time here, but he's a rider of the highest level and has a strong team behind him. Just think of my former teammate Gianni Vermeersch, who knows this race like the back of his hand. We absolutely must not underestimate Remco. I'm happy he's at the start. The more strong riders there are, the more the race opens up. This is not a disadvantage for me».

With three victories already under his belt, a fourth would make Mathieu van der Poel the sole record holder of the race. «Of course I'm aware of it, and it would be something truly special. But I approach the race with the same mentality as always: trying to win. If this leads to a record, I will cherish it dearly. There was a time when winning the Tour of Flanders even just once seemed like a distant dream. Becoming the sole record holder would be the ultimate achievement. But we're not there yet».