Mathieu van der Poel’s 2024 Tour de France was complicated, he said in an interview with Marca. “I had difficulties reaching my best level in the Tour, but it wasn’t bad,” he said, acknowledging the high expectations he had after donning the yellow jersey in his debut. He feels more at home in one-day races, stating, “I know I perform better in one-day races, and I focus on that.”
The 2024 gravel world champion was racing at the Criterium de La Nucía in Spain. He was riding against fellow pros—as well as former ones like Alejandro Valverde—and rally car drivers.
¡Viva España!
The Dutch rider moved to Alicante, Spain, three years ago to recover from back problems. Since then, he has developed a fondness for the area and enjoys the quality of the restaurants as well as the perfect climate, which contrasts sharply with the winters in Belgium.
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Reflecting on his past season, he said he was thrilled to win two of the biggest classics on the calendar. “Winning Flanders and Roubaix was incredible, especially while wearing the rainbow jersey.”
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Looking ahead, Van der Poel indicated a desire to return to mountain biking. “I think it might be a good time to try getting back on the mountain bike next summer. It remains a significant goal for me.” He noted that mountain biking still holds a special place in his aspirations. It’s one of the few rainbow jerseys he’s never won. He’s won several ‘cross worlds, the 2023 road worlds, and recently the gravel worlds.
On Pogačar
When asked about the world number 1, Tadej Pogačar, he acknowledged the Slovenian as a great rival who always pushes him to the limit. “I’ve raced Flanders with him twice, and I’m always in front,” he noted. He joked that he hopes Pogačar does not improve his performance in 2025, adding, “That would be beneficial for all of us.”
The cyclo-cross season has already begun, and when asked what his plans were, he said, “I don’t know yet. We haven’t decided, so we’ll see.” In recent years, both he and Wout van Aert have started later, with the Belgian doing an even more condensed ‘cross season.
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