'I felt I was missing out' - Van der Poel on why he is lining up for Omloop
Mathieu van der Poel rolls into Opening Weekend as the rider everyone expects to shape the race. A world champion on road and cross with wins at Flanders, Roubaix and San Remo, he knows how to break a Classic open. He also knows he does not have to do it alone in a race he has had on his mind for years.
After a week of weighing things up, Van der Poel gave the green light on Monday and will start Omloop Het Nieuwsblad.
The call came after a short breather following the cyclocross Worlds in Hulst, where he won his eighth world title, and a compact training block that settled any doubts.
“I always line up with ambition,” he said in quotes collected from Wielerflits. “But with Jasper Philipsen and Kaden Groves, we have real options if it stays together. That spreads the pressure and creates chances.”
Omloop had been on his mind since Benidorm in mid January. He wanted to see how the legs responded before locking it in. “You don’t lose your condition in such a short span,” he explained. “The first days back were a bit up and down, so I waited to see how I absorbed that work. By Monday, it felt right.”
He expects the kind of Omloop that so often unfolds: hard racing, but one that can still remain relatively tight. The sequence through Haaghoek and Leberg into the Eikenberg should thin the field, while the Muur and Bosberg will determine whether the attackers stay clear or a reduced bunch sprints in Ninove, as in 2025. “It’s a difficult race that can remain quite closed, and it’s hard to make big differences,” he noted.
That is why Alpecin-Premier Tech will keep two plans alive. If the race splits on the Muur or even earlier with the additions of the Tenbossestraat and the Eikenberg, Van der Poel is ready to go with it. If it refuses to snap, Philipsen and Groves give the team a fast finish, with Van der Poel switching to lead out or late punch depending on how the finale shapes up.
Philipsen, speaking to HLN, also stressed the team can approach the race in more than one way: “An offensive race, a sprint... I think we're well prepared and should be able to fight for the win in several different scenarios.”
Asked about his motivation for lining up, the 31-year-old Dutchman was clear: he felt he had been missing out. “I watched Omloop on TV the past few years and each time I regretted not being there,” he said. “It had been in my head for a while to start this year.”
After Omloop, Van der Poel will head to Tirreno-Adriatico as a build up to Milan-San Remo. According to HLN, there is also a chance he will be on the start line on Sunday at Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne, though any decision would only be announced on Saturday night.
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