“It's a race that doesn't excite me”: when Mathieu van der Poel admits he's not a fan of the Tour de France

Le Belge préfère disputer des courses plus adaptées à son profil. MAXPPP – DAVID PINTENS

Dutchman Mathieu van der Poel, whose main goals in 2025 will be to win the Tour of Flanders for the fourth time and become world champion in mountain biking, “is not passionate” about the Tour de France, he said in an interview broadcast on the Belgian website Sporza on Sunday 5 January.

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“It's a race that doesn't excite me. Apart from trying to win stages and wear the yellow jersey, there's not much to gain for me in the Tour”, explains Raymond Poulidor's grandson.

“I'd rather do five races where I'm in a position to win than 20 stages where I'm not in contention for victory half the time”, argues “MVDP” who will celebrate his 30th birthday on January 19.

The rider from the Alpecin-Deceuninck team nevertheless admits that he takes “pleasure” in helping his Belgian teammate, sprinter Jasper Philipsen, “to win as many stages as possible”. “I like it and it takes the pressure off me”, he says.

The World Mountain Bike Championship in the lead

This season, where he will try to become the sole holder of the record for victories in the Tour of Flanders (4), van der Poel could prefer Paris-Nice (March 9-16) to Tirenno-Adriatico (March 4-10). “This year's route creates a new dynamic. That's why Paris-Nice could be an option instead of Tirreno-Adriatico, which I've raced a few times”, he continues, talking about his preparation for the Flemish classics.

“Beating Tadej Pogacar at the Ronde is going to be difficult. But I'm happy to try to take on this challenge by thinking about how to reduce the gap” which, according to him, separates him from the Slovenian winner of the Flemish monument in 2023.

But if he had to choose just one goal in 2025, the one who has already been world champion on the road, in cyclo-cross (six times) and in gravel, “would opt for the world title in mountain biking” which is still missing from his list of achievements.