Mathieu van der Poel finishes in top-10 of all Monuments in just 14 months
The Dutch star is the second fastest rider ever to achieve the feat, behind Eddy Merckx
- (opens in new tab)
- (opens in new tab)
- (opens in new tab)
- Sign up to our newsletter Newsletter

Mathieu van der Poel has now achieved a rare career achievement in that he has managed to finish in the top-10 of all of cycling's Monument Classics, in the space of just 14 months.
While it is actually 29 months between his first top 10 and his most recent, but the consecutive top 10s have been over 14 months, making his the second fastest to this feat. Eddy Merckx did it faster from his first Monument participation.
The five Monuments of cycling are Milan-San Remo, Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix, Liège-Bastogne-Liège and Il Lombardia, with the first four happening in Spring and the latter in the midst of Autumn.
>>> Paris-Roubaix runner-up Florian Vermeersch posts incredible ride to Strava
Van der Poel's first top-10 in a Monument was at the Tour of Flanders in April 2019 where he came fourth, but it was a 10th place finish in the rescheduled Il Lombardia, in August 2020 that started the record.
The time it took Van der Poel may have been shorter due to the fact that lots of races were pushed close together due to the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, but sixth place at Liège-Bastogne-Liège came soon after in October.
He added a win at the Tour of Flanders to the list later that month, but he still required two other race top-10s after failing to finish above 14th in his Milan-San Remo debut, while Paris-Roubaix was cancelled in 2020.
This year saw the Milan-San Remo top-10 come for Van Der Poel, with a strong fifth place at La Classicissima in late March.
Paris-Roubaix, which was postponed from April to October 3, 2021came with torrid weather conditions, but that did not matter for Van der Poel who managed to pull off a resolute third place completing the set.
Merckx set the record time for top-10s in the Monuments back in 1967, taking just 13 months from his Milan-San Remo victory on debut in March 1966, through to his eighth place in Paris-Roubaix the following April.
This record was from Merckx's first Monument participation which saw him win at Milan-San Remo. Van der Poel's first Monument was a fourth place at the Tour of Flanders, but he did not manage a top 10 in his next Monument ride.
Only two riders have managed this since 1990 with Rolf Sørensen, who won both Liège-Bastogne-Liège and Tour of Flanders, and Philippe Gilbert (Lotto-Soudal), who has won all but one of the Monuments.
Sørensen's achievement started in 1986 at Milan-San Remo with the final top-10 coming 11 years later at Paris-Roubaix. Gilbert also started with Milan-San Remo and ended with Paris-Roubaix but took him between 2005 and 2019.
Gilbert is still hunting for the Milan-San Remo win with his 'Strive For Five' campaign, but he is 39-years-old now and his form over the last two years has, sadly, dropped away from his 2019 ability.
Thank you for reading 10 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Hi, I'm one of Cycling Weekly's content writers for the web team responsible for writing stories on racing, tech, updating evergreen pages as well as the weekly email newsletter. Proud Yorkshireman from the UK's answer to Flanders, Calderdale, go check out the cobbled climbs!
I started watching cycling back in 2010, before all the hype around London 2012 and Bradley Wiggins at the Tour de France. In fact, it was Alberto Contador and Andy Schleck's battle in the fog up the Tourmalet on stage 17 of the Tour de France.
It took me a few more years to get into the journalism side of things, but I had a good idea I wanted to get into cycling journalism by the end of year nine at school and started doing voluntary work soon after. This got me a chance to go to the London Six Days, Tour de Yorkshire and the Tour of Britain to name a few before eventually joining Eurosport's online team while I was at uni, where I studied journalism. Eurosport gave me the opportunity to work at the world championships in Harrogate back in the awful weather.
After various bar jobs, I managed to get my way into Cycling Weekly in late February of 2020 where I mostly write about racing and everything around that as it's what I specialise in but don't be surprised to see my name on other news stories.
When not writing stories for the site, I don't really switch off my cycling side as I watch every race that is televised as well as being a rider myself and a regular user of the game Pro Cycling Manager. Maybe too regular.
My bike is a well used Specialized Tarmac SL4 when out on my local roads back in West Yorkshire as well as in northern Hampshire with the hills and mountains being my preferred terrain.
-
-
Extinction Rebellion stage anti-Shell protest at British Track Champs
Two people carried a banner through the stands at Newport's Geraint Thomas National Velodrome
By Vern Pitt • Published
-
60% of motorists unaware of Highway Code changes, one year after introduction
Charity Cycling UK has called on the government to raise awareness of the updates
By Tom Davidson • Published
-
In celebration of Peter Sagan, cycling's rock and roll frontman
As the three-time world champion is set to call time on his career in the WorldTour at the end of 2023, we thought we would take a look back at the glory days
By Tom Thewlis • Published
-
Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel deserve big CX appearance fees, says British champ
British national champion says Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel receive high appearance fees for a reason
By Tom Thewlis • Published
-
Wout van Aert wins round 12 of the Men's Cyclocross World Cup in the Zonhoven sandpit
The early stages suggested it was going to be a battle between the top four, but Van Aert went clear and never looked back
By Jack Elton-Walters • Published
-
Mathieu van der Poel and Puck Pieterse win X20 Trofee Herentals cyclo-cross
It's a Dutch golden day out in Belgium as the Alpecin pair win
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Wout van Aert comes out on top once more in battle of cyclocross ‘big three’ at Superprestige Diegem
Puck Pieterse victorious in women’s race in Diegem, Belgium
By Tom Thewlis • Published
-
Mathieu van der Poel says he 'still needs to be better' despite second World Cup victory
Dutchman dispatched arch rival Wout van Aert in Antwerp, Belgium even with knee injury suffered 24 hours previously
By Tom Thewlis • Last updated
-
Tom Pidcock, Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel in first three-way showdown on Sunday
British rider to go up against his road rivals for the first time this cyclo-cross season at Antwerp round of the World Cup this weekend
By Tom Thewlis • Published
-
Mathieu van der Poel fires warning shot to his rivals after dominant World Cup win
‘There’s still work to do’ says Van der Poel as he threatens top level is still to come
By Tom Thewlis • Published