Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Premier Tech) revealed that even 650 watts weren’t enough for him to hold onto the back wheel of Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) when he made his final race-winning move on the Oude Kwaremont during the Tour of Flanders on Sunday.
The Dutch three-time winner once again played second fiddle to the superior World Champion, who became the eighth rider to claim a record third crown at De Ronde, and simply had to accept that Pogačar was stronger as he put on another exhibition over the cobbles of Flanders.
Such was Pogačar’s domination that Van der Poel even made a rare reference to his power numbers, expressing just how high a level the Slovenian is operating at, having claimed his 12th Monument crown.
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His team admitted that it was hard to call it a defeat given what Van der Poel had to face up against, with Pogačar’s team lighting up the action on the Molenberg with just over 100km to go, pulling only the 16 strongest riders out of the front of the main peloton.
After Pogačar blew the race apart fully on the second time up the Oude Kwaremont, he and Van der Poel emerged at the head of the race as a duo over the Paterberg, when impressive debutant Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) was finally dropped.
From here, they cooperated partially, with Pogačar doing the lion’s share, before the final ascent of the Kwaremont finally did for the determined but ultimately not strong enough Van der Poel. By the time they reached Oudenaarde, the gap was 34 seconds.
“I think I have my best level so far, only maybe in San Remo I lacked a bit. But for the rest, I can be very happy for the races and for the feeling,” said Van der Poel in the mixed zone.
“Today, I think I did one of my best ever performances again, so if there’s one guy that is trogner, that’s how it is, and I cannot do much more than this.
“I was just on the limit again, the first part of the final Kwaremont. On the flatter part, I had the feeling I came closer a little bit, and I hoped to come back, but then he accelerated again on the last part, and there I completely cracked and just struggled to the finish.
“It’s already the third time that he does this. I just do what I can and train as hard as I can but if there is a rider that is even better, you have to be honest and just accept it. “I can again be happy with my second place.”
From here, Van der Poel and Alpecin will reset confidently for the terrain where he has the advantage once again, on the pavè of Paris-Roubaix, where Van der Poel defeated Pogačar after he overshot a corner and crashed.
They are already staying cautious, however, knowing full well that he appears to have taken a step, and that after even one appearance, he can have a race figured out – just as happened with the Tour of Flanders after his 2022 debut when he returned with a dominant vengeance in 2023.
“I think last year already he was very strong, just made a small mistake on one of the sectors, so of course by now everybody knows he can win on any terrain,” said Van der Poel. “So he proved it again today, also in San Remo, that he is just a phenomenal rider, and next week will be the same.”
“Of course, today he didn’t win, but next Sunday we will try again with the same confidence that Mathieu should have after his performances in the past three years in Roubaix,” added Roodhooft. “It’s with all confidence that we go there.”
Perhaps the elusive outright record of a fourth Tour of Flanders win that Van der Poel would have been expected to take after he outfoxed the Slovenian four years ago may never come, as long as the Slovenian starts.
It does look as though the likes of Johan Museeuw, Fiorenzo Magni, Fabian Cancellara and Tom Boonen will indeed be surpassed, but by the phenomenal Pogačar, not Van der Poel.
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