Van der Poel draws confidence from copy-paste preparation: “A week later, I won the Tour of Flanders”

Last weekend, Van der Poel delivered two more strong displays. “E3 Saxo Classic and Gent-Wevelgem were two very good tests,” he said on the team's website. “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.”

That means the preparation has gone to plan. “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.”

The Dutchman has a tactical plan in mind, but he also knows Flanders rarely unfolds exactly as expected. “There will definitely be a tactical plan, but in the end it always depends on how the race unfolds. As a team, we are experienced enough to adapt when needed. There are of course a few certainties: as the distance increases and the climbs come one after another, the strongest riders move to the front. And positioning towards the key climbs is always crucial.”

With three Tour of Flanders wins already to his name, Van der Poel will once again start as one of the headline favourites. That also means the rest of the field will be watching him closely. “That’s 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.”

Still, he sees a deeper group of contenders than in 2025. Tadej Pogačar is naturally near the top of that list as he targets another victory in Oudenaarde. “There might be even more favourites this year than last. Starting with Tadej Pogačar, of course. 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.”

The major wildcard is debutant Remco Evenepoel. “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.”

Van der Poel currently sits on three Tour of Flanders victories. Six other riders have also reached that mark: Johan Museeuw, Fabian Cancellara, Tom Boonen, Eric Leman, Fiorenzo Magni and Achiel Buysse. Another win on Sunday would leave him standing alone at the top of that remarkable list. It would clearly mean a great deal to him, even if the Alpecin-Premier Tech leader is keeping his emotions in check before the race.

“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. 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.”

Van der Poel at least knows which domestiques will support him. Silvan Dillier, Michael Gogl, Edward Planckaert, Oscar Riesebeek and Florian Sénéchal form the experienced core around the former world champion, while Jonas Geens is the new face in the line-up. For him, it will be his Tour of Flanders debut.