Mathieu van der Poel has no doubt that Tadej Pogačar will eventually conquer Paris-Roubaix, adding another prestigious Monument title to his growing collection.
Van der Poel, who has claimed victory in the past two editions of the grueling “Hell of the North,” believes that Pogačar, the reigning road world champion, possesses all the qualities needed to excel on the punishing cobblestones of the iconic race. Though Pogačar is not scheduled to compete in next year’s event, Van der Poel anticipates that the Slovenian star will target the race in the future.
“I’m sure he will try it at some point,” Van der Poel remarked during his Alpecin-Deceuninck training camp earlier this month. “It might not be next year, but I believe he will go for it eventually.”
When asked if Pogačar could emerge as the winner at the Vélodrome André-Pétrieux in Roubaix, Van der Poel was unequivocal: “For sure. He’s already demonstrated his strength on the cobbles in the Tour de France, so I don’t think anyone would be surprised if he won. He would certainly be one of the favorites if he decided to race there.”
Van der Poel acknowledged Pogačar’s unique talent but also pointed out the difficulty of winning Monuments. “Tadej is special, of course. The Monuments usually see the same winners, with Milan-San Remo being the exception. But it’s not easy to win these races,” he said.
As the new season approaches, Van der Poel is focused on preparing for his upcoming cyclocross events, with 11 races already scheduled for the winter season. The former road world champion is making the most of his training camp in Spain before returning to Belgium, where his winter routine will predominantly consist of long sessions on Zwift.
“I used to spend more time on Zwift, but now I train a lot in Spain,” Van der Poel explained. “In Belgium, during the winter, I’m on Zwift almost every day. It’s a great way to avoid the bad weather, and it fits well with my cyclocross training. I can ride cyclocross in the afternoon and then do an hour on Zwift, which is a nice combination. But here in Spain, I don’t need Zwift as much.”
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