Mathieu van der Poel has one big goal before the Tour of Flanders: "Everyone will have that after San Remo"

Veni, vidi, bikey. That’s how easy cycling can look—at least if your name is Mathieu van der Poel. After winning the Cyclo-cross World Championships, the Dutch all-rounder has already added Le Samyn, Milan–San Remo, and now the E3 Saxo Classic to his spring classics résumé. Satisfied? Yes, but also not quite. Speaking at the post-race press conference after his dominant solo win in Harelbeke, Van der Poel laid out his thoughts.

The solo victory in the E3 Saxo Classic may have looked easy on TV, but it certainly wasn’t. Just seven kilometers in, Alpecin–Deceuninck was already forced into chase mode. “We came over a bridge, and the road narrowed a bit, and then we were suddenly at a standstill. There was a crash, and about thirty riders were ahead of it. We had to pull the bikes off the road,” explained Van der Poel’s loyal domestique Gianni Vermeersch.

“One minute became one and a half, then two, then three minutes. I think that made Mathieu a little angry,” Vermeersch added. “Silvan (Dillier, ed.) sacrificed himself, and then we added Tobias (Bayer, ed.), and eventually Oscar (Riesebeek, ed.) too, which wasn’t the original plan. But we had no choice.”

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Mathieu van der Poel press conference after E3 Saxo Classic

Mathieu, what’s your take on the situation at the start?
“It’s not fair play to go full gas after a crash that blocks half the peloton. That’s something we as a team would never do—but in the end, we managed to turn it around.”

Did it give you extra motivation?
“I was already quite motivated. The team did a really good job, so I was determined to finish it off. Without them, I wouldn’t have been able to fight for the win, so I really have to thank them for that.”

Could it be that, because of what you’ve already shown this season, they’re using tactics like this against you?
“I don’t know. Maybe. I’d rather not waste too many words on it.”

Let’s fast-forward to the Taaienberg. Pedersen attacks, you follow. Did you expect the race to break open there?
“Not really. I’ve attacked on the Taaienberg plenty of times, but it always came back together afterward. So I wanted to stay calm, but I was in a good position and able to follow Mads. When Filippo Ganna came back, the three of us understood what had to be done. We worked well together.”  

Was Pedersen your “Pogacar” today, referring to Milan–San Remo?
“Meh, not really. We were still far from the finish and really needed each other. On the Oude Kwaremont, I wanted to force a selection, but I didn’t expect to be the only one left. I know from last year how far it still is to the finish from there, but there was no turning back. In the end, I’m happy with it. Staying ahead of Pedersen and Ganna was also a result of what had already happened in the race. You can’t compare that to something like a time trial.”  

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Did you miss Visma | Lease a Bike in your version of the race?
“So much happens, I honestly don’t know what happened to them. What I do know is that INEOS Grenadiers put in a really strong performance. But it’s so chaotic—if you’re out of position for even a moment, it’s hard to come back.”

Is your spring already a success?
“Everyone understands that Flanders and Roubaix are the most important races, but I can definitely say that so far it’s already been a success. That gives me confidence, but next week we start all over again. That crash today in E3 proved that anything can happen.”

Are you still considering riding Gent–Wevelgem?
“No, I won’t be doing that race. We discussed it. Last year it wasn’t bad, but I mainly want to be in top shape for Flanders. By skipping Gent–Wevelgem, we think we’ll come the closest to achieving that. Especially after the weather we’ve had in Tirreno–Adriatico, Milan–San Remo, and now here. Staying healthy is the challenge now—but that goes for everyone coming out of Tirreno–Adriatico, Paris–Nice, and Milan–San Remo.”

Will you stay in Belgium or head to Spain?
“I don’t know yet. We still have to make that decision.”

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