Mathieu van der Poel has already won Milan-Sanremo, the Tour of Flanders, and Paris-Roubaix throughout his career. The Dutch cyclist is notable for his exceptional ability and is considered one of the few athletes with the potential to conquer all five monuments of cycling. Despite recognizing the difficulty of this feat, he expresses confidence that Liège-Bastogne-Liège could become an achievable challenge in the future.
“We haven’t finalized the planning yet, so it’s still a bit open. I would love to try Liège one day, but I don’t know if it will be next year. It’s a special season with the Olympic Games,” admitted van der Poel on the Geraint Thomas Cycling Club podcast.
“I raced Liège once, and I finished sixth. That was good, but it was during the corona pandemic. If all goes well, I think I can get close, but if Remco Evenepoel (won in 2022 and 2023) or Tadej Pogacar (won in 2021) participate, it will be a different story. If they attack uphill, it will be almost impossible for me to follow them.”
Van der Poel has already raced in the Ardennes, but the climbs of Liège are longer and steeper, making it challenging for him to keep up with some of his main rivals. However, a return to La Doyenne (as Liège-Bastogne-Liège is known) in 2024 for the World Champion seems unlikely, as after the Spring Classics, he is expected to take some time to rest and also compete in mountain biking.
Van der Poel admits not completing the Tour de France.
He also acknowledges that it is unlikely for him to finish the Tour de France. “If I want to combine Mountain Bike and Road, it will be very difficult to finish the Tour de France. The Olympic Mountain Bike race takes place a week after the Tour.”
Vuelta a España, a possibility
“It’s a challenging puzzle, and I also like to do something different, so the Vuelta would be fun,” he says, open to the possibility of a new race in his schedule. “But it has to fit in the calendar. Anyway, I’m really looking forward to the next season.”
Editor’s note: This interview was given before the unveiling of the route for the Vuelta a España 2024, which turned out to be extremely difficult for sprinters.