Van der Poel explains why he chose not to react, leading to him losing the Amstel Gold Race: "I had the luxury to take a gamble"

In the Amstel Gold Race won by Tom Pidcock, Mathieu van der Poel did not really come into play. The world champion, who was on an impressive winning streak, ultimately finished in the main group, in twenty-second place. Reporting from South Limburg, IDLProCycling.com captured his thoughts on the race.

"I wasn't at my best, but I was okay," Van der Poel openly shared. "I wasn't exactly caught off guard; more so, I was timing my effort to handle the Keutenberg. Unfortunately, they made a move before that, on the way to the Fromberg. I chose not to close the gap immediately to save energy for later, which didn't pan out as hoped. Overall, we didn’t do too badly. It’s tough in those moments; you have to make quick decisions. If I make a move, they follow, so it’s a bit of a gamble. I certainly didn't have the legs as in previous weeks, but it was nice to ride the Amstel again."

In short, realism was paramount for the 29-year-old from Kapellen, who didn't necessarily anticipate riding with lesser legs in South Limburg. "It was okay, but of course, it’s a different type of race. It’s maybe a bit more tactical between the climbs here, they did that well. The team did well, but maybe we were one man short to make a move. It’s just a very tough race."

Van der Poel ready to explode in Liège-Bastogne-Liège

We saw a somewhat more defensive racing Van der Poel, who himself indicates it was a deliberate choice. "I also didn’t have the legs to race offensively," he emphasizes again. "I think you can really be punished here if you play your cards too early. And of course, I was hoping that group would come back. But I think the strongest riders were just up front. Luckily, I had the luxury to gamble a bit. My season is obviously more than successful already, although I would of course have liked to have been in the finale. I’m also realistic enough to know that you can't win everything. I can't expect it to be my day every weekend. The chances are greater that you win than that you don’t."

This race saw a more cautious approach from Van der Poel, who admitted that it was a conscious strategy. "I simply didn’t have the legs to race aggressively," he reiterated. "In this race, showing your hand too early can really backfire. And I was, of course, hoping the main group would catch up. But in the end, the strongest riders were ahead. Fortunately, I had the luxury to gamble a bit. My season has already been more than successful, though I would have loved to compete in the final. I’m realistic enough to recognize that you can't win them all. You can’t expect to come out on top every weekend. The odds are more often in favor of winning than not."

Van der Poel is heading to Liège next week, where he will participate in La Doyenne, also known as Liège-Bastogne-Liège. "Next week's race is much tougher, and Tadej Pogacar will also be competing. I'm still looking forward to it. I'll rest well this coming week and then go all out one more time."