Van der Poel and His Relationship with the Tour de France
Dutch cyclist Mathieu van der Poel revealed that his main goals for 2025 would be to win his fourth Tour of Flanders and secure the mountain biking world title. In an interview with the Belgian website Sporza, van der Poel stated that he doesn’t have a great passion for the Tour de France.
“It’s not a race that excites me. Apart from trying to win stages and wear the yellow jersey, I don’t have much to gain from the Tour. I prefer to participate in five races where I can fight for the win rather than 20 stages where I’m only competitive half of the time,” explained the grandson of Raymond Poulidor.
Collaboration with Jasper Philipsen
Despite this, the Alpecin-Deceuninck rider admitted that he enjoys helping his Belgian teammate, Jasper Philipsen, win as many stages as possible.
“I enjoy doing it, and it takes some pressure off me,” he added.
Schedule and Preparation for the Classics
In 2025, van der Poel could opt for Paris-Nice (March 9-16) instead of Tirreno-Adriatico (March 4-10) to better prepare for the Flanders Classics.
“This year’s course offers a new dynamic. That’s why Paris-Nice could be a more interesting option than Tirreno-Adriatico, which I’ve already raced several times,” he explained.
The Challenge Against Tadej Pogacar
Among his declared goals is his desire to beat Tadej Pogacar in the Tour of Flanders.
“It will be difficult, but I accept the challenge. I’m already thinking about how to close the gap with him,” he stated, referring to the Slovenian cyclist who triumphed in the 2023 edition of the Flemish monument.
MTB World Title Goal
If he had to choose just one goal for 2025, van der Poel would target the MTB world title, the only major trophy missing from his collection.
“I’ve won world titles on the road, in cyclocross (six times), and in gravel, but the MTB world champion title would be something special for me,” he concluded.