Cyclingflash
Mathieu van der Poel hints again at a different winter

Mathieu van der Poel hints again at a different winter

Mathieu van der Poel has been highly successful in both cyclocross and road racing for over ten years, but the now 31-year-old Dutchman has hinted several times at considering a winter without cyclocross. This topic came up again ahead of the start of the second stage of Tirreno-Adriatico.

"I would mainly do it with the road season in mind, yes. To be able to take a bit more rest during the winter. For example, by spending a whole winter in Spain to train there. I don't think I absolutely need cyclocross to reach my best level. Definitely not. Maybe it could even be better without cyclocross? If you don’t try it, you don’t know," he said back in December.

We are now three months further on, but it still appears to be a very serious option for Van der Poel. When asked about his non-participation in Strade Bianche, the classics specialist said the following: "Do I regret it? A little bit, yes," he told, among others, WielerFlits.

"Of course it’s a race I’d love to race in. But I think the plan we’ve made is good, after a cyclocross season. And maybe one day I will race Strade again, after a different winter.

Van der Poel is not at all discouraged by the tougher finale of the gravel classic. "The race is what it is. They shouldn’t change it to suit me. It’s just a very tough race. I think you saw on Saturday again that it will always be hard to win. But well, if you only start in races you can win, then I wouldn’t start in the Tirreno either. I would love to return one day."

On the gravel stage in Tirreno: "A beautiful finale, but hectic"
Furthermore, Van der Poel shed some light on the upcoming stages of Tirreno-Adriatico and today’s stage in particular. "It looks like a beautiful finish. It will definitely be hectic with the gravel roads and the fight for the GC. I think it’s something that should suit me."

Is the Alpecin-Deceuninck rider aiming for a stage win this week? "Yes, of course. I love winning and always try to win. Last year I was close, but didn’t manage to win a stage, so hopefully this time I will succeed."