📸 After a fantastic February, Van der Poel unexpectedly starts in Le Samyn: "If the itch gets too strong,..."

Before he returns to the road, he reflects on the last month of winter. February was a fantastic month for Van der Poel: it began with a dominant victory in Liévin, where he extended his world title in cyclo-cross, putting him on a par with Erik De Vlaeminck, who also became world champion seven times. His lead over Wout van Aert was 45 seconds, so the Dutch rider will logically be the favorite to win his eighth title next year.

As a reward, the world champion was allowed to go to Livigno, where he and his girlfriend hit the ski slopes. It was an adventurous week, and the 30-year-old star wasn't just on skis: a helicopter ride took him to a mountain top, where he began a downhill skiing adventure. But he also enjoyed a wonderful day with sponsor Lamborghini. He had a fantastic week in the snow, although he received criticism for his choices just before the road season.

The second month of the year also mainly consisted of training and training. That was not a punishment, as seen from the images on his Instagram page. The lovely sun in Spain makes the work less tedious. It's all about getting back on track: next week, Van der Poel will start in the Tirreno-Adriatico and then prepare for Milan-Sanremo. After the Italian spring, he will turn to Belgium and France, where the cobblestone classics await.

At least, that was the intention. Starting in Italy was a successful formula last year. But suddenly, Van der Poel changed his mind. According to his team, he will be at the start of Le Samyn on Tuesday. “If the itch gets too strong, you just have to race!!” he said. What a nice addition to the Belgian semi-classic race. After that, he might even add the Strade Bianche to his program. What a turn of events!

The superstar has skipped the early Flemish classics. Alpecin-Deceuninck replaced him in the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne with Jasper Philipsen, who finished third on Saturday. He won the next day, on his birthday. With a successful lead-out from Kaden Groves, Van der Poel may suddenly enjoy more freedom in the Tour de France...