Mathieu van der Poel: I can’t win every race

After his crushing display of dominance at the E3 Saxo Classic, Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) was widely described by his peers ahead of Gent-Wevelgem as ‘unbeatable’. By the finish, that notion had crumbled.

The world champion played a starring role in the race, which he once again helped to prize open from range, racing as if the finish line was around the corner. But when it came to the final two-up sprint to the line, he had to bow his head to Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek), one of the riders who’d expressed some of that pessimism at the start.

Read more: Gent-Wevelgem: Mads Pedersen pips Mathieu van der Poel in two-up sprint

Van der Poel, gracious in defeat, had a message for those who for whom the signs of weakness and fallibility had come as a shock.

"I don’t think I can win every race,” he said. "It seems easy sometimes, but it’s always difficult."

Van der Poel pointed out that the stronger sprinter on paper was always going to be Pedersen, who is a regular contender and winner in bunch sprints. However, he duly acknowledged that the Dane, himself a former world champion, was stronger not just in the final 200 metres but throughout the race.

"Mads was already stronger than me on the second time up the Kemmelberg," he said, referring to the iconic climb of the race, which was tackled three times in total.

"My legs were pretty tired already after the second time, I just tried to be there, and then the last time Kemmelberg I was really struggling to hold the wheel of Mads."

As such, by the time the pair had established a winning margin on the run-in to Wevelgem, he already knew he was facing an uphill task.

"I knew already it was going to be difficult in the sprint. I felt my legs were quite done. He is stronger in the sprint anyway. I tried, but I didn’t feel good anymore."

Read more: 'The difference in level is quite shocking' – Resignation and realism among Classics riders

Part of the reason for Van der Poel’s fatigue was the fact that he’d been worked over by Pedersen’s team earlier in the race. Having identified Lidl-Trek as the strongest team at E3, Van der Poel found himself with three of them for company after the first ascent of the Kemmelberg, with Jonathan Milan and Jasper Stuyven joining Pedersen. Milan went on the attack for a while, allowing Pedersen to sit in the wheels, in a group that also contained Laurence Pithie (Groupama-FDJ), who also confessed to sitting in.

Van der Poel launched a vicious acceleration on the gravel Plugstreets, and shook Stuyven thanks to the misfortune of a puncture, but Pedersen was on fire and never looked in trouble, even taking command of the sprint and launching it on his terms.

“I’m happy with my second place. I would have liked to win of course but when someone is stronger, it’s not that difficult to accept,” Van der Poel said.

Read more:

• E3 Saxo Classic: Mathieu van der Poel powers to victory as Wout van Aert crashes
• Mathieu van der Poel: The more I complain, the better I am

As for whether he could or should have played things differently, with Milan-San Remo winner Jasper Philipsen as a teammate back in the peloton, Van der Poel insisted it was the right move to work with Pedersen right up to the final kilometre. In fact, he suggested he owed it to the rainbow jersey on his back.

"You have to decide at some point. You never know how tired Mads is and in such a situation you have to participate as world champion, I think.

"Jasper didn't win the sprint either," he added, with the Belgian edged out by Jordi Meeus for the final podium spot. "It's always easy to say afterwards, but I had to try in this situation."

Van der Poel is now set to head to Spain to enjoy some warm weather in the build-up to the Tour of Flanders, which he’s aiming to win for a third time next Sunday.

“The race on Friday [E3} was quite exhausting for me,” he said, offering a mitigating factor for his display at Gent-Wevelgem. “I’m going to rest up well next week, and I hope to be stronger at the Tour of Flanders.”

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