Mathieu van der Poel has sized up his opposition for this Sunday's Tour of Flanders, where he will go head-to-head in a rare face-off with Tadej Pogačar, Wout van Aert, Mads Pedersen and surprise debutant Remco Evenepoel.
The Dutchman, who is chasing a record fourth title at De Ronde, said it was no disadvantage to add another elite rider of the calibre of Evenepoel to the start line, noting that "The more strong riders there are, the faster the race opens up."
Van der Poel is the second favourite for victory, just behind defending champion Pogačar, and after preparing in Spain for the big appointment, he's raring to get the 280-kilometre epic started in Antwerp.
"There might be even more favourites this year than last. Starting with Tadej Pogacar, of course," said Van der Poel on Alpecin-Premier Tech's website. "But over the past weeks I’ve also seen a strong Wout van Aert, who is getting back to his best level. Mads Pedersen has also been improving race after race.
"And then there is, of course, the much-discussed participation of Remco Evenepoel. It’s his first time here, but he’s a top-class rider and he has a strong team around him. Just think of my former teammate Gianni Vermeersch, who knows this race inside out.
"We definitely shouldn’t underestimate Remco. And yes, I’m glad he’s at the start. The more strong riders there are, the faster the race opens up. That’s not a disadvantage for me."
Evenepoel's participation adds another top climber to the favourites list, alongside the Slovenian, with Van der Poel, Van Aert and Pedersen as the Classics specialists, who have been unable to match the climbing power of Pogačar in his past two appearances in 2023 and 2025.
As one of just seven men to have the equal record of three titles at De Ronde, Van der Poel is chasing history and a potential fourth crown in the Flemish epic, but – while noting the significance of such an achievement – he isn't thinking too much of history in the build-up.
"Of course I’m aware of that, and it would be something very special. But I approach the race with the same mindset as always: to try and win," said Van der Poel.
"If that eventually leads to a record, I will cherish it. There was a time when winning the Tour of Flanders just once felt like a distant dream. Becoming the sole record holder would be the ultimate achievement. But we’re not there yet."
Being closely watched as a favourite is something he described as "part of it and it doesn’t make me nervous anymore. When you’re in good shape, you’re automatically seen as a favourite. I take it as a compliment and it doesn’t change the way I race."
Van der Poel will arrive at Flanders off the back of a near-miss victory at E3 Saxo Classic, where his solo effort almost came unstuck in the final 2km, and an impressive ride at In Flanders Fields, where he got away with Van Aert on the climbs, before racing defensively and aiding sprinter Jasper Philipsen to the victory when they were caught.
"E3 Saxo Classic and Gent-Wevelgem were two very good tests. In Harelbeke, I really had to dig deep to take the win. It was close, but I managed to pull it off. In Wevelgem, I felt a bit less fresh because of that, so as a team we decided to go all-in for Jasper Philipsen in the final. And that paid off as well," he said.
"In fact, the weekend was quite similar to 2024. Back then, I also won E3 Saxo Classic and two days later I lacked the freshness in Wevelgem to beat Mads Pedersen. But a week later, I won the Tour of Flanders.
"I’m confident this is the right preparation for both the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix. Over the past week in Spain, I’ve been looking for the right balance between finding those last few percentages and keeping a fresh feeling."
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