Van der Poel’s fourth victory is just a matter of time, say Boonen, Museeuw and Cancellara: “Until Sunday, I’m still the record holder”

Mathieu van der Poel could achieve something unique on Sunday in the Tour of Flanders. If he crosses the finish line in Oudenaarde first, the Alpecin-Deceuninck rider will become the sole record holder of “Flanders’ Finest” with four wins. For now, he still shares that record with six other legends. Three of them have shared their thoughts on Van der Poel’s chances and what the record would mean.

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Tom Boonen took his third Tour of Flanders win in 2012

Museeuw "Until Sunday I'm still the record holder"

Johan Museeuw (winner in 1993, 1995, and 1998) shares his fellow countryman’s opinion. He too sees Van der Poel as the eventual sole ruler of the Tour of Flanders. "Until Sunday, I’m still the record holder. If not this Sunday, then MVDP will win the Tour of Flanders again in the coming years. He doesn’t need anything more—his career is already a success, and he says so himself. Everything that comes after is just a bonus. Is he losing sleep over that record? No, but it’s a nice one to achieve."

Fabian Cancellara, along with Fiorenzo Magni, is the only non-Benelux rider who shares the record. If Van der Poel dethrones him, he sees that as a beautiful thing. "Honestly, I have no problem with it. To anyone who wins 3, 4, or 5 times, you have to say: chapeau! This is the era of the current peloton. If Mathieu succeeds, he deserves it. Just look at what he’s already accomplished recently. In San Remo, he reached seven Monument wins—on Sunday, he could claim his eighth. That’s incredible."

Alongside these three, Fiorenzo Magni, Eric Leman, and Achiel Buysse also share the record of three wins in the High Mass. If Van der Poel wins, he’ll stand alone at the top of the honor roll with four victories. But first, he’ll have to deal with Tadej Pogacar. The world champion returns to Flanders after a one-year absence and is eager for a win, especially after missing out on Milan–San Remo in March.

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