Van der Poel confirms his 90 minutes at 446 watts and reveals his strategy for Roubaix

Mathieu van der Poel arrives at the Paris-Roubaix 2026 in a difficult position. He is the most dominant cyclist in the race, having won the last three editions, but he arrives with the caution of having lost to Pogacar in San Remo and Flanders in recent weeks. The Dutchman faces the possibility of entering history with a fourth consecutive victory, but in his pre-race speech, he made it clear that his focus is not on records, but on repeating the competitive pattern that has led him to dominate the Hell of the North in recent years.

Van der Poel stays true to his style before Roubaix and aims for another solo attack

In his pre-race statements, Van der Poel downplayed any obsession with numbers. “I am realistic enough to know that I cannot maintain this streak forever. There will be a year when it doesn’t work out.” “I try to win, and then the record will come by itself.”

This naturalness also translates to his way of racing. Far from making changes after what happened in Flanders, where he was the last to drop off from Tadej Pogacar, the Alpecin leader maintains his roadmap intact. “As always, I will race by feeling and see how the race evolves. Anything can happen in Roubaix. The important thing is to stay attentive at the front and navigate the cobblestone sections as safely as possible.”

The duel with Pogacar will again be one of the main focuses of the race. Van der Poel does not rule it out at all despite the peculiarities of the course. “This race may be more difficult for him, but no one can say he is not capable of winning it. You need some luck, but he proved that last year.” A statement that reflects the mutual respect between the two great dominators of the current Monuments.

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Tactically, no twists are expected either. The Dutchman was criticized for his way of racing in Flanders, where he collaborated in relays with Pogacar when both were alone at the front, and hinted that there will be no strategic changes. “I did what I had to do. I was in a position to win, but I don’t think not collaborating would have changed the outcome or increased my chances. I just did the best I could.” He even went further by valuing the ethical component of offensive cycling. “Not collaborating would also have been a bit unsportsmanlike. Tadej and I are going to cross paths for years. It’s better to get along.”

If there is an ideal scenario for him, it remains the same as always. Avoid the sprint and resolve it solo. Something that he learned the hard way in 2021 when he said, "the dead man was me." Since then, his approach has changed forever. “A solo attack gives you the greatest security, but you can’t always do it. If you reach a sprint, it means you’ve had a good race, but if I can choose, I prefer to arrive alone.”

He also shared his view on the course and one of the key points of the day, the Arenberg Forest. He considers it positive that the initial sectors can harden the race earlier. “The smaller the group arriving at Arenberg, the better. It remains the most dangerous section.”

Beyond tactics, one of the topics surrounding his pre-race has been the debate over the power data he shared on Strava after the E3 Saxo Classic. Van der Poel usually does not share this type of information on Strava, but this time he did it on purpose. The Dutchman achieved his best record in 90 minutes with 446 watts. This sparked both praise and doubts. But Van der Poel did not hesitate to defend the accuracy of his figures. “That data has been analyzed and is correct. If it weren’t, I wouldn’t have shared it. It was just to show how hard it was to ride alone against the wind.” And he took the opportunity to send a message to those who questioned him. “Some so-called experts had another opinion. Sometimes I like to share something, even though I usually don’t.”

Even in that context, the Dutchman sees the positive side. “For me, it was good to see that I can still improve at my age, even though I have to compete against someone like Tadej, who may be the best cyclist in history.”

With three consecutive victories already in his recent record, Van der Poel arrives at Roubaix without changing anything that has worked for him. Without obsession for the record, without altering his tactics, and with a clear idea. Stay at the front, avoid problems, and, if the race allows, cross the velodrome solo again.