Mathieu van der Poel has printed he’s going to start his 2025 highway season at Tirreno-Adriatico in mid-March after which goal the Excursion of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix and an early degree victory on the Excursion de France.
He’s going to now not journey the hilly UCI Highway International Championships in Rwanda however as a substitute desires to focus on a primary cross-country mountain motorbike international name in Valais, Switzerland in early September.
“It will look a bit the same as last year. The focus is on the Belgian classics, that’s what I’m best at,” van der Poel informed Sporza and different media all through the Alpecin-Decuninink media day in Spain.
“It is an ideal moment to focus on mountain biking again and to make the world title a big goal after the Tour de France. The plan is to do a few World Cup races too if it’s possible, I definitely want to do it. But that is only possible if it fits within my schedule.
“It is the final piece of the puzzle that I am lacking. I truly need to win the mountain motorbike international name. And with the Worlds in Rwanda, it is excellent to focal point best on mountain cycling.”
Van der Poel received his record-equalling 7th elite males’s cyclocross international name in early February after which loved a spoil from racing and a few taking part in golfing time snowboarding. He used to be somewhat unwell in Spain however shrugged off any issues for his season debut and Classics objectives.
“It’s nothing to worry about. After the Cyclocross World Championships I already felt that illness coming on,” he stated.
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“I start in Tirreno and that seems to me the best preparation for Milan-San Remo,” Van der Poel showed, after to start with taking into account driving Paris-Great.
“It has gone well in the past, so I think a one-week stage race is good to get into the best shape.”
Van der Poel received Milan-San Remo in 2023 and helped teammate Jasper Philispen win a dash victory in 2024. They are going to staff up once more in Italy after which at Paris-Roubaix. The Dutchman may also journey the E3 Saxo Vintage prior to focused on repeat victories on the Excursion of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix.
“We will look at a race like Dwars door Vlaanderen later. It is also not certain yet that I will start in Gent-Wevelgem. I would rather win the Tour of Flanders a fourth time than a first time in Wevelgem,” van der Poel stated, confirming he’s going to now not race on in April and journey the Ardennes Classics.
Van der Poel’s main spring objectives also are the foremost objectives for opponents Wout Van Aert and Tadej Pogačar. The Slovenian even teased that he may journey Paris-Roubaix all through a contemporary reconnaissance travel to northern Europe.
Van der Poel may win a record-breaking fourth Excursion of Flanders however he isn’t within the list or his opponents.
“I’m focused on winning the race, the record is a consequence of that. Like the Cyclocross World Championships, everything that comes with it now is a bonus. That is why I can work towards it in a relaxed way,” van der Poel defined.
“I don’t know what Tadej’s plans are for Roubaix. If he has the form he had for Flanders last year, then he’ll be a tough opponent but I’m not losing any sleep over it.
“You must be 110 p.c to overcome him at Flanders. I had just right legs, however he nonetheless dropped me at the Oude Kwaremont. However the extra just right riders firstly, the easier, as a result of then the race will fall into position.”
Van der Poel had hinted he could skip the 2025 Tour de France after suffering through the race last year and failing to win a stage. However, the Tour seems hugely important for Alpecin-Decuninck and so van der Poel will return, again teaming up with Philipsen, who will target the sprint stages and the first yellow jersey in Lille, in northern France.
Three weeks of hard racing will also provide the foundation for a later summer of mountain biking.
“It will be my fifth Tour. There are opportunities for me and Jasper in the first week. Hopefully, I can win another stage victory,” van der Poel stated.
Mathieu Van der Poel’s 2025 race time table:
March 10-16: Tirreno-Adriatico
March 22: Milan-San Remo
March 28: E3 Saxo Vintage
April 6: Excursion of Flanders
April 13: Paris-Roubaix
July 5-27: Excursion de France
September 14: UCI Mountain Motorbike International Championships Crans-Montana, Switzerland.
