Ex-rider says van der Poel has cracked the Pogacar code: "Tadej will come to Sanremo, Flanders and Roubaix with new moves"

With impressive solo efforts, Pogi often manages to control races. Accelerating and then staying away, so to speak. Staying away is particularly impressive. In the Tour of Flanders, for example, the Slovenian was chased by Wout van Aert, Mads Pedersen, and Van der Poel. The gap did not close, and Pogacar eventually crossed the finish line as the winner. How?

“It is because he plans his moments to attack at the highest crunch point in the race,” Danielson analyzes on X. "This is why you are seeing such long solos as the place he goes is the hardest moment in the race followed by relentless challenging sections. It’s a “check mate” situation as the riders that are left are scattered about and at or over their limit."

It is in that first phase that Pogacar pulls away. “While they regroup he gets his gap and the terrain after costs those on the wheel the same as those chasing for the most part. So numbers do not make a difference here,” says the American.

Danielson also sees that Pogacar chooses his races based on this battle plan. "At this point he does not really even start races that he cannot create this type of a strategy to win. Quebec is really the only one. Milan San Remo kinda is like this but I think he is close enough he will keep working on his ability to pull it off."

If you look at where Pogacar has been defeated, you quickly come to Paris-Roubaix and Milan-Sanremo. In both cases, the Slovenian came up against a stronger Van der Poel. “MVDP has cracked the code to beat him,” Danielson concludes. The former rider explains in detail.

“Choose a race that is 100% suited to your strengths and train for the specific efforts you expect him to use to beat you. MVDP could do the insanely long VO2 efforts and repeat them. MVDP was also ready to go the distance,” Danielson explains the code.

With that, the American predicts great things for the new cycling year. So far, the Slovenian has tried different tactics in Milan-Sanremo, for example, but without success. “For that reason, Tadej will definitely come to Sanremo, Flanders, and Roubaix with some new moves in 2026.”