Van der Poel is sure of it, Pogacar will win Paris-Roubaix someday: "He would immediately be a top favorite"

Mathieu van der Poel is the cobblestone specialist of the moment — there is no doubt about that. And according to the Dutchman, there is also no doubt that Tadej Pogacar will one day win Paris-Roubaix. Although the Slovenian superstar has yet to take on the Hell of the North, Van der Poel sees him as a top candidate to conquer the cobblestones successfully.

With two consecutive victories in Roubaix to his name, Van der Poel knows better than anyone what it takes to master the mythical cobblestones. According to him, Pogacar possesses all the qualities needed to not only compete, but to win. Even though Pogacar has not scheduled a Roubaix appearance for next year, Van der Poel is convinced that the Slovenian will make a serious attempt to win the race in the future.

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Van der Poel charges ahead on the cobbles of Roubaix

Only special riders win Monuments

"He would immediately be one of the top favorites," Van der Poel emphasized. The Dutchman believes this partly because of Pogacar's performance on cobblestones during a stage of the Tour de France. "I don’t think it would be a surprise to anyone if he won. He would be one of the favorites in Roubaix if he participated." So, it’s not really a question of if, but when.

"Tadej is a special rider, of course. And when you look at the Monuments, it’s often the same winners. Only San Remo is a bit more diverse. But it’s definitely not easy to win these kinds of races." Winning a Monument is an art in itself and is reserved for only a select few. Van der Poel and Pogacar are among those few.

While looking ahead to a packed season, Van der Poel is enjoying the Spanish sun for a little longer. In Spain, he is preparing for an intense cyclo-cross schedule of eleven races. His winter training includes a mix of sessions that are specific to cyclo-cross, and indoor rides on Zwift. "I used to spend a lot more time on Zwift, but now I’m in Spain a lot. In winter, when I’m in Belgium, I ride on Zwift almost every day, honestly. I’d rather hop on there than go outside in bad weather, and especially with cyclo-cross, it’s a great combination. You can train for cyclo-cross in the afternoon and then do an hour on Zwift — it works really well. But here in Spain, you don’t need it that often."

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