'I start every race to win' - Mathieu van der Poel fired up ahead of Paris-Roubaix showdown with Tadej Pogačar
Two-time winner says he has suffered with illness during spring Classics campaign


Mathieu van der Poel has revealed that he has been suffering from illness during this year's Classics but will return to Paris-Roubaix on Sunday looking to add a third successive victory at the race.
The Dutchman has already won Milan-San Remo and the E3 Saxo Classic in recent weeks, but was bested by Tadej Pogačar at last weekend’s Tour of Flanders. After Pogačar attacked Van der Poel was unable to get back on terms and was later forced to settle for third on the day behind the UAE Emirates-XRG rider and Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek).
Speaking ahead of Paris-Roubaix, the former road world champion revealed that he has been suffering from an underlying virus during the last few weeks of action which he said was “made worse” by racing in the cold drizzle of Belgium at E3, which he went on to win.
He said: "By Monday [three days after E3], I felt really under the weather. I ended up on antibiotics, and during Flanders I still wasn’t at 100%, though I was able to defend myself fairly well. In the end, I still made the podium.
"After the Tour of Flanders, I had a bit of a dip again but that's probably not surprising: it was a big effort on Sunday, and I still wasn’t fully recovered. But now it's Friday, and I'm feeling much better. I think I'm reasonably okay to try and defend my title on Sunday."
Despite being under the weather, Van der Poel made clear that his recent illness will not be an excuse on Sunday and explained that Alpecin-Deceuninck's strength in depth means they go into Roubaix as one of the favourites for the win alongside Hell of the North debutant, Pogačar.
"I start every race to win, and this year is no different," he said. "Of course, that's easier said than done, but that's the mindset I bring to the start. And if I'm not at my absolute best, we'll do everything we can to keep the victory within the team. Jasper Philipsen has shown over the past two years that he’s more than capable of winning this race too."
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Van der Poel won last year’s edition by almost three minutes after attacking on the Orchies cobbled sector after a late attack saw him distance Wout van Aert 12 months previously. Jasper Philipsen has finished second to his teammate on both occasions.
Much of the pre-race noise has inevitably centred on Pogačar, although Van der Poel warned that multiple teams could play a part in the fight for victory, including Lidl-Trek.
"It's maybe harder to predict than usual," he said. "Pogačar is always a major contender. But in Flanders, we also saw Wout van Aert, Mads Pedersen, and Jasper Stuyven performing at a very high level. And then there’s [Filippo] Ganna. Paris-Roubaix might just be the perfect race for him."
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

Tom has been writing for Cycling Weekly since 2022 and his news stories, rider interviews and features appear both online and in the magazine.
Since joining the team, he has reported from some of professional cycling's biggest races and events including the Tour de France and the World Championships in Glasgow. He has also covered major races elsewhere across the world. As well as on the ground reporting, Tom writes race reports from the men's and women's WorldTour and focuses on coverage of UK domestic cycling.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
-
Unmarked helmets to a new Campagnolo groupset: Five of the best tech finds from the Giro d'Italia 2025
There's new equipment on display at the first men's Grand Tour of the year
-
Bike racing needs to stop trying to reinvent the wheel and focus on what already works
Formula Fixed is just the latest novelty to promise to save cycling, but is it needed?
-
Tadej Pogačar was dominant at Liège-Bastogne-Liège, but I hope for a competitive Tour de France
The Slovenian has finished on the podium of the last six Monuments, the first man to do so - when will he stop dominating?
-
Tadej Pogačar wins third Liège–Bastogne–Liège after 34 kilometre solo breakaway
Slovenian puts in decisive attack on the Côte de la Redoute as Giulio Ciccone grabs second with Ben Healy in third
-
Tadej Pogačar flies to dominant victory at La Flèche Wallonne
Slovenian takes second win at Belgian classic ahead of Kévin Vauquelin and Tom Pidcock
-
'The line was 5 metres too far' - Tadej Pogačar reacts to Amstel Gold Race second place
World champion reeled back and beaten in sprint by Lidl-Trek's Mattias Skjelmose
-
'If I were a tennis player then my career would be over': Remco Evenepoel contemplated early retirement after serious training accident
Double Olympic champion was left with nerve damage and says his shoulder is not yet fully healed ahead of his return to racing at Brabantse Pijl
-
I went to Paris-Roubaix Femmes and was shocked at how it is still treated as secondary to the men’s race
The women’s version of the Hell of the North is five years old, but needs to be put more on equal footing with the men
-
Broken hips, hands, and collarbones: Paris-Roubaix's lengthy injury list lays bare brutality of race
"It probably wasn't the best idea to continue," says one of weekend's many wounded riders
-
Professional riders need more protection from mindless 'fans' at major races to avoid another Mathieu van der Poel Paris-Roubaix bottle incident
Cycling's authorities must do everything within their power to prevent spectators from assaulting riders