Two weeks ago Mathieu van der Poel obliterated his rival Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) on the climb of the Poggio.
That was Milan-San Remo but the Poggio is not the Kwaremont or the Paterberg. Instead it was Pogacar’s turn to hammer Van der Poel and Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) into submission. Every time a cobbled road shot up in grade, the Slovenian made them suffer until they both tapped out.
On the second ascent of the Kwaremont with 18 kilometers to go, the two-time Tour de France champion showed just how Merckxian — or rather Pogacarian — he can be. Over the top, he grabbed 13 seconds and later, by the summit of the Paterberg, his gap was nearly 30 seconds.
Van der Poel made a valiant chase but Pogacar never showed any remote sign of weakness. He went into time trial mode and the Dutchman could do nothing but watch the clock give him the bad news. At a certain point, he rose off his saddle and slowed his pedaling. His body language suggested a man who knew he was never going to catch Pogacar. It was game over in the Ronde van Vlaanderen.
“I knew I had to go solo in the Quaremont to have a chance to win and that’s what I did although I was at the limit before,” said Pogacar in his post-race assessment. “I could retire after today and would be proud of my career.” Well, the man is only 24 so we don’t think he’s hanging up his wheels anytime soon — there are a few more Tour de France crowns to win.
There would be no third victory in the Ronde for Mathieu van der Poel. And when you’re beaten this decisively, it’s not hard to be philosophical. “Of course I am a bit disappointed. But I have to admit that with Tadej Pogacar the strongest rider won the race. So I can live with it.”
What he means is, he can live with it for seven days, until next Sunday, at the Hell of the North, Paris-Roubaix. Van der Poel will be hoping he has his San Remo legs ready for action.
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