Mathieu van der Poel wins on the cobbles on first race day of 2025

Mathieu van der Poel sprinted to victory at Le Samyn on Tuesday, in what was his first road race of the season.

The Alpecin-Deceuninck rider had added the cobbled semi-Classic to his schedule late, but the decision to race was vindicated as he out-powered Paul Magnier (Soudal Quick-Step) and Emilien Jeannière (TotalEnergies) on the run in to Dour.

It was the first time Van der Poel raced on the road - and the cobbles - since since winning the cyclo-cross World Championships for a record-equalling seventh time last month.

The Dutchman was originally set to begin his 2025 road season at Tirreno-Adriatico next week, but it was revealed that he would race Le Samyn on Monday; he said: "If the itch gets too strong, you just have to race."

Tuesday's race was nailed on for a sprint after a powerful move was caught with 14km to go. Rather than a solo attack, Van der Poel decided to wait for the sprint, a move which proved wise, with the 30-year-old showing his power in a novel way.

"I was feeling pretty strong already during the race, but it wasn’t hard enough to make a difference," he said post-race. "I felt also a lot of people watching me, so I think at 50km from the finish line, I said to my teammates I was going to save my legs for the sprint, because I knew a finish like this is something I was capable of winning, and that’s what I did. I’m very happy with this win."

"With a finish like that that climbs up a little, and the last five minutes with cobbles, it’s very, very hard," he continued. "So I knew it could be a chance for me to sprint. I opened my sprint with confidence, and it was enough to win."

Le Samyn featured 20 sectors of cobbles, mostly centred around a circuit of Dour in southern Belgium, and so therefore proved the perfect terrain for two-time Paris-Roubaix winner Van der Poel. The upcoming Monuments - Milan-San Remo, the Tour of Flanders and Roubaix - will once again be the key target for the first part of the Dutchman's season, with a record-breaking fourth Flanders win on the cards.

Van der Poel's victory was Alpecin-Deceuninck's second consecutive win on the cobbles, after Jasper Philipsen won at Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne on Sunday.

Earlier on Tuesday, the women's Le Samyn was won by Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime) after a powerful sprint, with the European champion victorious for a fourth time this season.