Sporza analysts see unstoppable Van der Poel: “If Pogacar wants to win the Tour of Flanders, there’s only one way”

When asked if this was the most beautiful edition of La Primavera ever, José De Cauwer had a clear answer: “This was the best ever for me—definitely the most stressful.” His colleague Karl Vannieuwkerke also thoroughly enjoyed it. “I started watching with a bit of reluctant indifference, expecting the usual pattern of every year. But these three stars turned the ugliest, dullest Monument into something covered in a layer of gold leaf. It was fantastic.”

The two Belgians, unsurprisingly, had only praise for the “big three.” “You know what’s remarkable?” said De Cauwer. “If Ganna hadn’t joined those two, it would’ve been a completely different race. But that wasn’t the case. Those three champions just kept riding. Maybe knowing they couldn’t win, but still riding. There’s no gambling with these guys. That’s just the way it is today.”

“These guys weren’t calculating anything. Only Mathieu van der Poel was thinking during the sprint. He played it very smart. He knew he had four bike lengths on Pogacar. Where was Pogacar going to make that up with 300 meters to go?” Vannieuwkerke continued. His colleague also saw a dominant sprint: “No one even came close. He could’ve sprinted another 100 meters—no one would have passed him.”

According to both analysts, it was clear from the top of the Poggio who was going to win. “After Mathieu countered Pogacar, that’s when you knew: Van der Poel has the upper hand, he’s in full control. That was a mental blow for Pogacar, who had already gone all-out on the climb,” said Vannieuwkerke. “I think he was even a bit afraid of Ganna.”

As we slowly approach Holy Week in the cycling calendar, Wout van Aert will return to racing on Friday. The two analysts believe the Belgian will need to be in peak condition to stand a chance. “I think some serious work will need to be done on a mountain in Tenerife,” said José De Cauwer. “Wout van Aert is on notice: he’ll need to be better than what we’ve seen from him over the past year.”

The three—Van der Poel, Pogacar, and Van Aert—will meet for the first time this Friday, and again in the Tour of Flanders. It's already clear how Pogacar will need to race if he wants to win. “I now get the feeling that Van der Poel can always go to the line with Pogacar—and beat him,” said Karl Vannieuwkerke. “Because Pogacar beating Van der Poel in a sprint in the E3 or Flanders? That’s not going to happen. He’s going to have to drop him. That much is clear.”

Former pro Jasper Stuyven also enjoyed Milan–San Remo and is glad Van der Poel was able to follow Pogacar. “It was very important that Van der Poel could follow Pogacar on the Cipressa. If he hadn’t, it could’ve been the death blow for the race. Because if, in a race where you're not really supposed to be able to ride away solo, someone can ride away, that might’ve been the moment the race died.”

“In the end, we got an incredible finale thanks to those three, and for that we really have to thank them,” Stuyven continued on the Café Koers podcast. “What Pogacar did was amazing, and I think he got the most out of it. Van der Poel is a worthy winner, but after a finale like that, I honestly wouldn’t have minded who crossed the Via Roma finish line first.”