Van der Poel goes straight to spend Holy Week in Spain

Mathieu van der Poel doesn't waste time. The Dutchman finished his participation in the Tour of Flanders and, just two hours after getting off the bike, was already on his way to Spain to prepare for his immediate spring goal, the Tour of Flanders next Sunday, April 5, where he will face Tadej Pogacar again.

Van der Poel doesn't waste time and flies to Spain after the race to prepare for the Tour of Flanders against Pogacar

The image he shared on social media makes it clear that Van der Poel doesn't waste time, and just two hours after having a huge ride alongside Van Aert, he could be seen walking towards his private plane with the message "last preparation in Spain, for Holy Week".

In the Milan-San Remo, Pogacar managed to break the race definitively on the Poggio, leaving Van der Poel behind, who couldn't sustain the decisive change of pace after a day marked by a fall prior to the Cipressa. That day, the Dutchman also finished with a small but annoying injury to his hand.

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However, the reaction didn't take long to come. In the E3 Saxo Classic, Van der Poel once again demonstrated that he remains the reference when the race breaks on the cobbles, winning after a long solo adventure that he resolved at the limit. A character victory that confirmed that his level is where it needs to be to compete for everything.

Two days later, in the Tour of Flanders, he was once again a protagonist. He attacked alongside Wout van Aert on the Kemmelberg, and both tried to anticipate the sprint, but the peloton ended up neutralizing the breakaway in the last kilometer, leaving the victory in the hands of Jasper Philipsen. Even without a victory, the feeling was clear. Van der Poel remains in offensive mode and accumulating top-level competitive load.

With that block already completed, the next step was decided in advance. Spain as a base of operations to fine-tune his form before Flanders. This is not a new choice in his career. Van der Poel himself has acknowledged in the past that his residence in Spain has been key to his performance, even stating that it was "the best investment" of his life.

The trip also brings back into focus his collaboration with a private aviation company, a relationship that generated controversy last year due to the environmental impact of such travel, although the Dutchman defended at the time that it responded to performance and recovery needs. And in that sense, he has demonstrated it again, minimizing transfer times to optimize rest and preparation in a key week.

All signs now point to the Tour of Flanders. Van der Poel arrives with competitive rhythm, a prestigious victory under his belt, and the feeling that he can still take another step in these days in Spain. Pogacar, for his part, has already shown in San Remo that he can cause damage even in less favorable terrain.