‘I would love to go back to Strade Bianche’ – Mathieu van der Poel reveals regrets about missing Italian Classic

Strade Bianche in early March comes too early and is perhaps too demanding for Van der Poel, as he tries to balance a winter cyclo-cross campaign, pre-season training and a Classics peak for the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix.

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Van der Poel saw the highlights of Strade Bianche and how friend and rival Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) again dominated the race, sparking pangs of regret.

“Yeah, I regret not riding a little bit. It’s a race I would love to participate in, ” he said before the start of stage 2 of Tirreno-Adriatico, which ends with a sector of gravel and a climb up to the San Gimignano finish, which will likely suit the Dutchman.

“But the plan we make [for the season] is already a good one, I think, with the cyclo-cross and the rest of the races. Maybe one day I will do it again with a different winter program.”

The current Strade Bianche route includes 4000 metres of altitude gain, with the two loops of the Colle Pinzuto-Le Tolfe climbs making for a spectacular but hard race.

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