Cyclingflash
Mathieu van der Poel feels ready for San Remo: "What happened in 2025 can't happen every year"

Mathieu van der Poel feels ready for San Remo: "What happened in 2025 can't happen every year"

Mathieu van der Poel feels ready to win Milan-San Remo for the third time in his career. The Dutchman is happy with the preparation he has had and received a great confirmation with two stage wins at Tirreno-Adriatico, he tells La Gazzetta dello Sport.

"Of course, I don’t know if I will win Milan-San Remo, but I think I’m ready. I’m really satisfied with how things went in Tirreno and on the climbs I also felt really good," says the Alpecin-Premier Tech rider. "I don’t know if I’m in the best form of my life, but I’m at a very good level and I’m happy with that."

For MVDP, the week of racing in Italy was a final training stimulus to reach his best level, he continues. "I was looking for that extra dose of intensity that you only find in races, when you have to give everything to win. For me, it’s very difficult to replicate that in training and Tirreno has always been useful for me as a last preparation for the classics. I hope this year it proved to be the same during the decisive moments."

Will Pogacar attack on the Cipressa?
Van der Poel is also asked by the Italian media about a possible attack from Tadej Pogacar on the Cipressa. What does he think about that? "Well, the scenario will probably be quite similar to what everyone expects, I think. But what happened in 2025 can’t be repeated every year. We had the perfect wind on the Cipressa and also to reach the Poggio. If it had been against the wind, it would have been a very different story. The same goes for 2026."

"I have to say that Pogacar in 2025 was really very close to a solo attack. If I was even one percent below my optimal condition... then he shakes me off. It’s only a matter of time before he wins San Remo."

By the way, Van der Poel will not only focus blindly on Pogacar. When asked about last year’s runner-up, Filippo Ganna, he concludes: "I saw him in Tirreno-Adriatico and without surprises, he can be a contender for the overall win. San Remo is really perfect for him."