Mathieu Van der Poel did not leave the Tirreno-Adriatico as expected. Indeed, If he went there trying to draw moral from it, it can probably be said that he came out of it with broken bones.At Tortoreto, one of the finishes where everyone was expecting him, the Dutchman arrived exhausted at the back of the field. And if during the video interview you point out to him that fortunately Cipressa and Poggio aren't as tough, he responds with a smile.
"I wouldn't have been able to take a shot on the Poggio even last week," he says. "But I hope to be able to do it on Saturday (today, ed.). I needed the Tirreno. You can't train this hard alone.I wasn't too well, but I wasn't terribly bad either. And I admit I didn't expect it either.But I don't worry about not winning, I don't care about it anymore. Two years ago I crashed at the Dwars door Vlaanderen and the following Sunday I attacked with Asgreen to win the Flanders. Also, maybe It is no coincidence that after the very short preparation for the cross world championships, I wasn't at my best in the first stage raceBut I've been resting these days. And I hope Tirreno has done its job."
Back and gym
It is not a mystery that the explanation for his back pain was sought behind his lapses, but at least this danger has apparently been averted.
«It doesn't hurt me – he explains – I haven't always been able to keep up with the group, but I'm not worried about that either. It's not getting worse, he needs some rest and 15-20 minutes of exercise a day, which is impossible to do during races.That's why I went to the gym this week to do strength training. I'm trying to stick to it, but if I can't go because of the schedule, then I'll have to grit your teeth in pain. And that doesn't make things easier, obviously."
Strava goodbye
Compared to last year, Van der Poel has deprived us of a useful tool for verifying his work., through which to try to decipher his current form. The Dutchman has in fact stopped publishing his data on Strava.
«I decided for myself – he explains – to share it for just one year, because I had received comments left and right that nothing was known about my preparationThat's why I posted everything. It was also fun to get as many KOMs as possible, but now I don't feel the need to share everything anymore. Others do, but they don't add heart rate or power, so it's not very useful, because you can't see anythingLet's just say I'm feeling pretty good now. You don't have to be the best to win Sanremo, but I'd clearly prefer to be in top form. Every year it's more difficult to make a difference on the Poggio and last year I proved that I don't have to be at the top to get on the podium. Which is for example impossible at the Strade Bianche, where you win only by being the strongest».
Sanremo with three points
It has been said several times that Alpecin-Deceuninck is not just Van der Poel's team and Mathieu is happy about itAnd so, after having given Philipsen excellent sprints at the Tirreno-Adriatico, he supports Soren Kragh Andersen's candidacy for the Sanremo.
«He will try to resist the Cipressa and the Poggio – says Van der Poel – and If he's with us in the end and feels well, he'll certainly have a better chance than me.If Philipsen is there, even better. We're in agreement; there's no need for much discussion. I'll do my run on the Poggio and then we'll see if he's still with us. Poggio is always a question mark. Pogacar will be there, which isn't exactly a surprise. But at Sanremo it's always difficult to make predictions..."
