After a bizarre day, Van der Poel will reflect on it in Dubai, but will likely be skipping Liège in the future

Mathieu van der Poel impressively finished on the podium at Liège-Bastogne-Liège this Sunday. The Dutch rider from Alpecin-Deceuninck was just before the final caught behind a crash but managed to make his way back to the front in the last kilometers and sprinted from there to third place. "Food for thought," said Van der Poel, wrapping up his spring season.

"I actually don’t know how I ended up on the podium. I felt like I was chasing all day," the Dutchman began in an interview with Sporza. "I was taking off my leg warmers and gloves, but then there was a crash and the whole road was blocked. At that moment, I thought we wouldn't be able to get back into the race, but eventually, we managed to by keeping up the pace. But by then, the best was already behind me."

"There was quite a bit of decompression after the past few weeks, especially after Flanders and Roubaix. But even with the legs I had there, I wouldn't have stood a chance against Pogacar," continued Van der Poel. "Now, I'm really happy to be on the podium because it didn't look likely for a long time. I only started to believe when I caught up with the group vying for third place, even though my legs weren’t great by then. I wanted to finish my classics season well, and I did. My spring season was already more than successful."

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Van der Poel questions if he'll ever beat Pogacar in Liège

After Liège, Van der Poel is taking stock. "I now understand what they mean when they say that the cobbled and hilly classics can be combined. We have to be realistic, and even with the best legs, I can't follow Pogacar on the Redoute. That’s something to ponder for the future," said the Dutchman, briefly leaving room for interpretation. He then added, "Maybe now I won't focus on it anymore, only time will tell."

At the press conference afterward, which IDLProCycling.com also attended, Van der Poel stated that the Slovenian winner was in a class of his own. "But of course, the prevailing feeling is happiness. Until five kilometers from the finish, a podium place seemed out of reach. Yet, in the end, I made it, so that feels really good. Everyone could see that was the highest I could achieve."

The in-form world champion also revisited the significant efforts he had to make in the chase after a crash, particularly when the riders from Israel-Premier Tech pushed hard. "It definitely took a lot of strength. After a long chase, I managed to return, but my legs were very tired. And as I said before, even with legs from the Tour of Flanders or Paris-Roubaix, I can't follow a in-form Pogacar on the Redoute."

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Van der Poel peaked from the cyclo-cross World Championships all the way to Liège

In recent weeks, there was also widespread debate about whether someone with the physical characteristics of Van der Poel—1.84 meters tall and about 75 kilograms—could realistically win a race like Liège-Bastogne-Liège. "That's more of a media thing," the cyclist from Kapellen acknowledged. "This race suits the best climbers in the peloton. I'm realistic about that. My opinion hasn't changed in this regard. So, it's quite normal that Pogacar wins here. But it's still racing. Anyone can encounter problems or have a bad day. At least, I hope Tadej can have a bad day," he said, drawing laughter. "He was once again very impressive."

Van der Poel had a classic spring campaign lasting six weeks. For six weeks, he was consistently present. From Milan-San Remo to Liège-Bastogne-Liège. "Is a six-week peak period maybe a bit too long?" he was asked. "I don't think so," he replied confidently. "I think it's definitely possible, although I did feel a bit of decompression after the Tour and Roubaix. The important thing is that I've been peaking since the Cyclo-cross World Championships. That's what makes it such a long period. It's also why Liège is so challenging. But again, in any form, it's nearly impossible to follow Tadej. But everyone has their own races where they perform best. And I've done what I needed to do in my races."

Might it be an option to lose some weight and focus entirely on climbing classics like Liège-Bastogne-Liège and the Tour of Lombardy, keeping in mind the strive for five? "For now, that's not the plan," MVDP clarified. "It's an option, but I always focus on what I'm best at. And those are the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix. Those suit me best. Overhauling everything to maybe have one good chance to win in Liège is not currently in the pipeline of ideas."

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Van der Poel plans to 'catch some sun,' praised by Roodhooft

Van der Poel is now heading off on vacation. "I've really been looking forward to it. Just getting away to Dubai to soak up some sun. Of course, I have to discuss this with the team," he joked. "I've been preparing since before the Cyclo-cross World Championships, both in front of and behind the scenes. It's been a busy period and I'm glad to take a break now. It's been tough. I haven't competed in many races, but I did participate in the tough ones where there's always an expectation to perform. Overall, I look back on a fantastic spring. What's next? We'll decide that next week. If I knew, I would tell you," concluded the cheerful world-class rider.

Finally, a word from team director and sports director Christoph Roodhooft. The Flemish director was pleased with his protégé's performance. "Everything he's shown this spring has been spectacular. But to also finish here with a third place in Liège, which was almost the best possible result, is very beautiful," he told several cycling media outlets. "When Mathieu was delayed by that crash, we thought it was all over. The field was split, but the second group contained many teams for whom this race was very important. And they ultimately did the work to bring it all back together. The jury also decided to neutralize, because the location wasn't clearly marked. They wanted to give everyone a fair chance. And so those sixty to seventy guys quickly rejoined."