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
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.
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
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 20 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.
-
Forget distance covered, these are the key stats to note in your Strava Year in Sport
We asked a coach how to best analyse our end of year Strava data
By Tom Davidson Published
-
'She should show a bit more respect' - Lotte Kopecky responds to Demi Vollering comments
The pair seemingly had one last fractious year together at SD Worx-Protime in 2024
By Tom Davidson Published
-
Wout van Aert’s cyclo-cross campaign still up in the air
Belgian said to be struggling to run after serious knee injury sustained at the Vuelta a España
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Latvia protest against Mathieu van der Poel's World Championships result, saying he 'endangered spectators'
Latvian Cycling Federation calls on UCI to explain decision not to disqualify Dutchman who mounted pavement
By Tom Davidson Published
-
Jasper Philipsen says fortunes 'will turn around' after another Tour de France second place
"Once we have better luck then we’re on the move," says Philipsen after another second place in Colombey-les-Deux-Églises
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Mathieu van der Poel to skip Olympic MTB to focus on Tour de France and road race
The world champion will not race again until the Tour begins in Florence at the end of June
By Adam Becket Published
-
Opinion: Mathieu van der Poel firmly grasps legend status with second Paris-Roubaix victory
Reigning world champion deserves his place alongside Roger de Vlaeminck and Eddy Merckx as one of cycling’s greatest-ever one-day racers
By Tom Thewlis Last updated
-
Van der Poel ‘in a different league’ at Paris-Roubaix, says Mads Pedersen
Former world champion forced to settle for third on the podium behind Van der Poel and Jasper Philipsen
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
'I just wanted to make it a hard final' - Mathieu van der Poel on 'unplanned' Paris-Roubaix winning attack
The world champion launched his race winning move on the Orchie cobbled sector, almost 60 kilometres from the Roubaix velodrome
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
'I’m just here to enjoy it': Tom Pidcock on his surprise Paris-Roubaix appearance
British rider was a late addition to the Ineos Grenadiers team for the race across the pavé
By Tom Thewlis Published