Mathieu van der Poel aims for the same objectives in 2025 but is tackling them in a significantly different manner. The leading cyclist of Alpecin-Deceuninck is including Tirreno-Adriatico in his race itinerary as he gets ready for the Italian and Flemish spring classics. At a press conference on Sunday, he clarified to IDLProCycling.com and other outlets the reasons behind his decision and subsequently shared his thoughts in the mixed zone about that extraordinary edition from 2021.
For Van der Poel, Tirreno was meant to be his initial race of 2025, but he has already begun his season triumphantly with a win at the newly added GP Samyn. He hurried there because a fellow rider withdrew from Alpecin-Deceuninck — nothing else to it. That being said, he was keen to return to racing and was already in Belgium because of extreme weather in Spain. “However, the weather couldn’t deter me.” “I managed to accomplish all that I desired.”
In Belgium, the Dutchman enjoyed himself thoroughly before moving on to Tirreno in Lido di Camaiore. There was a total reversal of roles: clear skies in the Netherlands and Belgium, downpours in Spain, and additional rain forecasted at Tirreno for the week ahead. “In addition to GP Samyn, I got to train on my gravel bike at home for a while, which was enjoyable.” I noticed that the weather prediction for Tirreno doesn’t appear favorable, but let’s hope that shifts. “We can’t change the situation.”
Tirreno begins on Monday with a solo time trial, but Van der Poel has no aspirations in that regard. “I never practice on my time trial bike, and it’s clear to everyone that my objectives aren’t focused there.” “I don’t anticipate much from it,” he expressed plainly. “I aim to discover my finest legs, just as I did in recent years.” Last year, I achieved success without it, but Tirreno is an excellent event to get ready for upcoming races.”
Furthermore, he highlighted that his drive to compete was invigorated in the winter. “You begin cycling to compete, not merely to practice, so we’ve opted to participate in a few extra races.” I really enjoy altitude camps and training camps, but everyone has their boundaries, and for me, the time to compete was now. In recent years, it’s been evident that my final few percentages of performance are derived from racing.
He went on, “Tirreno has consistently served as excellent preparation for Milan-Sanremo, just as Sanremo acts as a solid foundation for Paris-Roubaix.” I am confident in this preparation, so I will continue with it. As a group, we’re also aiming to achieve victory in a stage. Nonetheless, this time it will occur without Jasper Philipsen, who is opting out, in contrast to past years. “I would have enjoyed competing here with Jasper in the sprint stages as it provides you with a specific function to fulfill throughout the day.” However, if I get a chance now, I will pursue it on my own.
Van der Poel won’t give his all as he did in the thrilling 2021 version.
Van der Poel needs to be cautious about exerting himself as much as he did in 2021. That year, he claimed victory in two stages at Tirreno, with his solo escape during stage five standing out as particularly memorable. He launched his attack 64 kilometers from the end and, utterly drained, narrowly fended off Tadej Pogacar by just ten seconds. Following the completion, he was nearly requiring medical aid. “That’s a version I still recall vividly.” “It was among the most enjoyable stage races I’ve participated in,” he chuckled when questioned about it.
As Van der Poel, Pogacar, and Wout van Aert entered in peak condition, the race became a fierce contest each day. “Furthermore, the course matched that style of racing perfectly.” Reflecting on it now, I believe we exhausted our strongest efforts at that time — and this was true for more than just myself. It was an amazing week, and I look forward to taking on challenges again this week. That won’t occur daily, however, as Tirreno has genuinely grown more challenging in recent years. There’s an actual mountain stage now, so those are segments where I’ll aim to save energy.
However, you can rely on Van der Poel to challenge his legs at least a single time. “I’m not approaching this race with a strategic mindset,” he stated, clarifying his ambitions. “You make an effort, but when the race begins, that thought fades away.” You rarely witness races like the one in 2021 these days — it was full speed ahead every single day. “That has become somewhat less frequent now.”
