Mathieu van der Poel after stage win in Tirreno: "Legs were better in Omloop Het Nieuwsblad"

In the 'Manhattan of the Middle Ages,' Mathieu van der Poel does not tower far above the others. In the narrow streets of San Gimignano, the Tuscan town with fourteen medieval towers, the second stage of Tirreno-Adriatico is decided by sheer power. In a beautiful uphill sprint against Isaac Del Toro and Giulio Pellizzari, he once again shows that he always has something extra left in the tank when approaching the finish.

The second stage of the Tirreno caused a stir in the peloton. A gravel section 6.7 kilometers from the finish splits the peloton into two groups. Some see it as asking for trouble to include even one such 'sterrato' on the course. Especially since a few dangerous corners follow. Others call it a stunning finale, where after nearly 200 kilometers, an extra effort is demanded.

“The first thing we had to focus on was positioning for the gravel section,” Van der Poel explains after his victory. “I think everyone knew that before the stage. For me, it went pretty well. I tried to stay out of trouble. My team helped me well with that. Once you're at the front, it’s much easier to avoid problems.”

Mathieu van der Poel is, you might almost say naturally, one of the fans of this course. “I think that gravel section was especially cool for the people watching at home on TV. And yes, I enjoyed it too. It was a beautiful finale: very tough, and with San Gimignano, a very nice city for a finish.”

When the rain starts falling in the last hour of the stage, the riders face an additional challenge and we see bigger gaps than expected beforehand.

“The finale became more difficult because of the rain,” he continues. “Precisely because of the rain, the gravel became extra dangerous and the corners were very slippery. I have to honestly admit I didn’t expect it to be that slippery.”

Where Van der Poel sets the pace on the Tuscan gravel, Matteo Jorgenson stays close on his wheel. Until he makes a strange move in a corner. He takes his right hand off the handlebar and seems to lose his balance on the slick surface. His crash also disrupts the others. In the end, only Del Toro and Pellizzari manage to catch back up to the 'Flying Dutchman,' who is clearly in his element in the gravel section.

“I definitely didn’t wait for them. They just came back. Then I slipped a bit in a slippery corner, which caused my chain to come off briefly. I had to ride at the limit to catch back up with them. I knew Isaac would keep pushing to gain time for the overall standings. Although I think all three of us were riding at our limit.”

In a long 250-meter uphill sprint through the historic streets, Van der Poel just manages to hold off his two breakaway companions. What stands out: Van der Poel is the only rider sprinting with his hands on the drops, while the others have their hands on the brake hoods. After the finish, it is clear that ‘MVDP’ had to dig very deep for this victory.

“It went pretty well. Although I actually felt better in Omloop Het Nieuwsblad. When you win a stage like this, of course, you have nothing to complain about. I’m here to try and get a bit better for my important spring goals. I think we’re on schedule.”

You can’t replicate such a tough finale in training at home. What extra does a stage like this bring with regard to the classics?
“Look, the first 150 kilometers of such a stage are not special. I think in those hours you can do much better work training at home. But such a finale is very tough. Those are the things you need to get better towards the classics. That last hour like today is difficult to simulate in training. Those tough finales are exactly why we’re here.”

Isaac Del Toro set the pace in the finale. Should we consider him an extra contender for Milan-San Remo?
“I think they have a clear leader in Tadej Pogacar. If you see what UAE Emirates did last year on the Cipressa, I think Del Toro could play a crucial role there to really make the race hard. Although every detail needs to be perfect to do something like that again on the Cipressa. With headwind, they won’t succeed. Seeing how strong Tadej and the whole team are, they hold the key to winning Milan-San Remo this year.”

Last year you didn’t win a stage in the Tirreno. Is your current form comparable to that of last year?
“That’s hard to say. Last year I indeed didn’t win a stage here, but I felt good and was close to victory several times. And that was in really tough stages with quite a few climbs. To win, you also need some luck. And yes, I’m happy to have won again now. The Tirreno is a race I like to come to race. It’s perfect for me to prepare for my spring classics.”

Now that you battle on gravel with Del Toro — who finished third in Strade Bianche — do you regret skipping Strade?
“Of course, I regret not being there. It’s a beautiful race, but I don’t think today’s race is comparable to Strade. If you watch how Strade develops, that classic is currently difficult for everyone to win except Tadej. But that’s not the main reason I wasn’t in Siena. The team and I made a plan from the cyclocross season towards the spring classics. Last year I started in GP Samyn. After cyclocross, I usually need some time to get back in road form and to train at altitude. Maybe Strade will fit in my program again in the coming years.”

What are your plans for the rest of the Tirreno? Are there other stages you want to target?
“To be honest: I haven’t looked closely at the stages yet. For the sprint stages, we have Jasper Philipsen, which is a nice goal. Those will be my rest days, if you look at it that way. But I’ll definitely see if there’s a stage where I can try something.”