{"id":1858463,"date":"2026-03-30T12:03:43","date_gmt":"2026-03-30T09:03:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1858463"},"modified":"2026-03-30T12:03:43","modified_gmt":"2026-03-30T09:03:43","slug":"mathieu-van-der-poel-retreats-to-spain-on-private-jet-to-fine-tune-tour-of-flanders-form","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1858463","title":{"rendered":"Mathieu van der Poel retreats to Spain on private jet to fine-tune Tour of Flanders form"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/7cZHn64DUq8U5itRQmrUn7-1024-80.jpg&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p><article class=\"page-content-onecol flex-1\nnews-article article\n\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"widget-area-group widget-area-group-2col flex flex-wrap box-border\">\n<div id=\"widgetArea16\" class=\"widget-area basis-full md:basis-2\/3 widget-area-g-md-vp-2-3 widget-area-g-lg-vp-2-3 widget-area-g-xl-vp-2-3 page-widget-area-16\">\n<div data-widget-type=\"hero\" id=\"hero\" class=\"clear-both widget widget-hero widget-hero widget-hero-hero widget-hero widget-hero-fter-news\">\n<div class=\"news-article\">\n<header data-component-name=\"Article:Hero\">\n<nav class=\"breadcrumb\" aria-label=\"Breadcrumbs\">\n<ol>\n<li>\nPro Cycling\n<\/li>\n<li>\nTeams &amp; Riders\n<\/li>\n<li>\nAlpecin-Premier Tech\n<\/li>\n<li>\nMathieu van der Poel\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/nav>\n<h1>Mathieu van der Poel retreats to Spain on private jet to fine-tune Tour of Flanders form<\/h1>\n<div class=\"byline-social\">\n<div class=\"byline\">\nNews<\/p>\n<div class=\"text-[13px]\"><span><br \/>\nBy<br \/>\nPatrick Fletcher <\/span><span><br \/>\npublished<br \/>\n<time data-component-name=\"UI:DateTime\" datetime=\"2026-03-30T12:03:43Z\" class=\"relative-date\"><br \/>\n30 March 2026<br \/>\n<\/time><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"strapline\">Dutchman opts for warm-weather preparation after exertions at E3 and In Flanders Fields<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"mx-auto mb-4 flex items-center justify-start mx-0 my-5 p-0\" id=\"affiliate-disclaimer\" data-component-name=\"AffiliateDisclaimer\" data-hawk-message=\"Affiliate disclaimer removed because hawk deemed there are no affiliate links on this page\">\n<p class=\"text-700 mb-2 text-[12px] leading-[18px] md:text-[13px] [&amp;&gt;a]:text-gray-700 [&amp;&gt;a]:underline\">\nWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here\u2019s how it works.\n<\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<\/header>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-widget-type=\"contentparsed\" id=\"content\" class=\"clear-both widget widget-contentparsed widget-content widget-contentparsed-content widget-content-parsed widget-content-parsed-content_document \">\n<div class=\"wcp-item-content\">\n<section class=\"content-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"box less-space hero-image-wrapper\">\n<figure class=\"mb-0\">\n<source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/7cZHn64DUq8U5itRQmrUn7-1024-80.jpg.webp 1920w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/7cZHn64DUq8U5itRQmrUn7-1024-80.jpg.webp 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/7cZHn64DUq8U5itRQmrUn7-1024-80.jpg.webp 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/7cZHn64DUq8U5itRQmrUn7-970-80.jpg.webp 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/7cZHn64DUq8U5itRQmrUn7-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/7cZHn64DUq8U5itRQmrUn7-480-80.jpg.webp 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/7cZHn64DUq8U5itRQmrUn7-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1000px) 600px, calc(100vw - 40px)\" \/><figcaption class=\"mt-2\"><span class=\"credit\">(Image credit: Getty Images)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"article-body\" class=\"text-copy bodyCopy auto paywall-locker\">\n<div data-analytics-id=\"utility-bar\" id=\"utility-bar\" class=\"font-ui-heading flex justify-between items-center py-2 border-t border-b border-gray-300 border-solid mb-5 mx-auto\" data-component-name=\"UtilityBar\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"utility-bar\">\n<div class=\"flex gap-2 text-[#333] subcontainer\">\n<div class=\"relative tooltip-container\" role=\"tooltip\">\n<div data-component-name=\"Social:Dropdown\" role=\"menu\" id=\"utilitybar__dropdown--share\" aria-labelledby=\"utilitybar__button--share\" class=\"absolute left-0 top-full w-44 bg-white rounded-md shadow-md border border-neutral-200 z-[9996] list-none m-0 py-2 px-3 border-solid\">\n<ul class=\"!m-0\">\n<li class=\"!p-0 !m-0 list-none border-b border-gray-200 border-solid\">\n<li class=\"!p-0 !m-0 list-none border-b border-gray-200 border-solid\">\n<p>Facebook<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"!p-0 !m-0 list-none border-b border-gray-200 border-solid\">\n<p>X<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"!p-0 !m-0 list-none border-b border-gray-200 border-solid\">\n<p>Pinterest<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"!p-0 !m-0 list-none border-b border-gray-200 border-solid\">\n<p>Email<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"font-ui-heading max-sm:hidden tooltip absolute left-1\/2 bg-gray-900 text-white text-xs leading-none px-3 py-1.5 rounded-md z-[10001] whitespace-nowrap\" id=\"tooltip-share-this-article\" role=\"tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\nShare this article\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"relative tooltip-container\" role=\"tooltip\"><span class=\"ml-1 inline-flex h-5 px-2 shrink-0 items-center justify-center self-center overflow-hidden whitespace-nowrap rounded-[10px] bg-primary-500 text-[11px] leading-none font-ui-heading font-semibold text-white\"><span>0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"font-ui-heading max-sm:hidden tooltip absolute left-1\/2 bg-gray-900 text-white text-xs leading-none px-3 py-1.5 rounded-md z-[10001] whitespace-nowrap\" id=\"tooltip-join-the-conversation\" role=\"tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\nJoin the conversation\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"flex gap-2 text-[#333] subcontainer\">\n<div class=\"relative tooltip-container\" role=\"tooltip\">\n<p>Follow us<\/p>\n<div class=\"font-ui-heading max-sm:hidden tooltip absolute left-1\/2 bg-gray-900 text-white text-xs leading-none px-3 py-1.5 rounded-md z-[10001] whitespace-nowrap\" id=\"tooltip-add-us-as-a-preferred-source-on-google\" role=\"tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\nAdd us as a preferred source on Google\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"relative tooltip-container\" role=\"tooltip\">\n<div role=\"dialog\" class=\"hidden fixed inset-0 z-[999999999999999999] bg-[#33333370] flex items-center justify-center p-6 newsletter-modal\" data-batch-endpoint=\"https:\/\/newsletter-subscribe.futureplc.com\/v2\/submission\/submit_batch\" data-batch-source=\"302\" data-component-name=\"Newsletter:Modal\">\n<div class=\"bg-neutral-100 rounded-xl shadow-xl w-full lg:w-2\/3 xl:w-1\/2 p-6 relative max-h-[95vh] overflow-y-auto\">\n<div id=\"newsletter-capture-modal\">\n<div class=\"sm:text-xl text-base font-bold text-black mb-3 p-0 bg-inherit font-ui-heading\">Get The Leadout Newsletter<\/div>\n<p class=\"text-gray-600 mb-4 text-sm sm:text-base font-article-copy\">The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!<\/p>\n<div data-component-name=\"Newsletter:NewsletterForm\">\n<hr class=\"modal_hr mt-3 mb-4 h-px bg-gray-300 border-0\">\n<div class=\"modal_footer block text-left opacity-80 text-[.8em] leading-[1.3em] mt-2 [&amp;&gt;a]:underline font-article-copy\">\nBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms &amp; Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"newsletter-modal-confirmation\" class=\"hidden\">\n<p class=\"sm:text-xl text-base font-bold text-black mb-3 p-0\">You are now subscribed<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-gray-600 mb-4 text-sm sm:text-base\">Your newsletter sign-up was successful<\/p>\n<div id=\"newsletter-modal-confirmation__userlogin\" class=\"hidden\">\n<hr class=\"my-5 h-px bg-gray-300 border-0\">\n<div class=\"items-start flex flex-col h-full justify-between\">\n<div class=\"flcw-text pb-5 pt-2 leading-[1.3]\"> An account already exists for this email address, please log in.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"font-ui-heading max-sm:hidden tooltip absolute left-1\/2 bg-gray-900 text-white text-xs leading-none px-3 py-1.5 rounded-md z-[10001] whitespace-nowrap\" id=\"tooltip-subscribe-to-our-newsletter\" role=\"tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\nSubscribe to our newsletter\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p id=\"elk-ccc787fd-2718-4596-9703-56093d6f5552\">Mathieu van der Poel has returned to his favoured training base of southern Spain in order to fine-tune his form ahead of the Tour of Flanders.<\/p>\n<p>The Classics star won E3 Saxo Classic on Friday before playing a starring role at In Flanders Fields on Sunday, but he will skip Wednesday\u2019s Dwars door Vlaanderen in favour of training in sunny Spain.<\/p>\n<p id=\"elk-ccc787fd-2718-4596-9703-56093d6f5552-2\" class=\"paywall\" aria-hidden=\"true\">Van der Poel in fact set off right after the finish of In Flanders Fields, where he animated the race in a two-up attack with his old foe Wout van Aert before slotting back into the bunch and watching his teammate Jasper Philipsen take the spoils.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"article-continues-below block py-2 text-sm\">Article continues below <\/span><\/p>\n<aside data-component-name=\"Recirculation:ArticleRiver\" data-recirculation-type=\"inline\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"Trending Bar\" data-nosnippet class=\"clear-both pb-0 pt-2 mb-4\"><span class=\"\n            flex\n            after:content-[''] after:flex-1 after:ml-4 after:my-[0.7rem] after:border-t after:border-solid after:border-t-[#ccc]\n            before:content-[''] before:flex-1 before:mr-4 before:my-[0.7rem] before:border-t before:border-solid before:border-t-[#ccc]\n            font-article-heading pb-0 !text-base uppercase sm:text-sm font-bold\n        \"><br \/>\n            You may like<br \/>\n        <\/span><\/p>\n<ul class=\"flex flex-col gap-0 m-0\">\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ededed] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-1\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-inline-1\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-inline-1\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/3PJwHMar27BCFmrmRbiFzL-250-80.jpg.webp 250w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/3PJwHMar27BCFmrmRbiFzL-150-80.jpg.webp 150w\" sizes=\"150px\" \/><span class=\"\n                            w-full font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2 text-base font-medium\">&#8216;I&#8217;m certainly not at my best yet&#8217; \u2013 Mathieu van der Poel heads to Spain after going nine from nine in cyclo-cross, but the big goals are still to come<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ededed] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-2\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-inline-2\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-inline-2\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/isP3PbU6FdHrUojBNey3wF-250-80.jpg.webp 250w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/isP3PbU6FdHrUojBNey3wF-150-80.jpg.webp 150w\" sizes=\"150px\" \/><span class=\"\n                            w-full font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2 text-base font-medium\">Why Poga\u010dar and Van Aert&#8217;s teams aren&#8217;t sensing weakness for the Tour of Flanders despite Mathieu van der Poel&#8217;s near-miss at E3 Saxo Classic<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ccc] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-3\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-inline-3\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-inline-3\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/xMH7UKbmKtyqUzWHF6JoST-250-80.jpg.webp 250w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/xMH7UKbmKtyqUzWHF6JoST-150-80.jpg.webp 150w\" sizes=\"150px\" \/><span class=\"\n                            w-full font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2 text-base font-medium\">&#8216;Milan-San Remo should be fun&#8217; \u2013 Mathieu van der Poel shows he is ready for the Classics with Tirreno-Adriatico tactical masterclass<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/aside>\n<p class=\"paywall\" aria-hidden=\"true\">Van der Poel headed straight to the Kortrijk-Wevelgem airport, just a stone&#8217;s throw from the finish line, where his private jet was waiting for him.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall\" aria-hidden=\"true\">&#8220;Last preparations in Spain for the Holy Week,&#8221; Van der Poel wrote in a social media post alongside footage of him walking towards his plane.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall\" aria-hidden=\"true\">Holy Week refers to the stretch that sees the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix take place on consecutive Sundays.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall\" aria-hidden=\"true\">Van der Poel has a training base in south east Spain, near Calpe, where he regularly trains over the winter. He has occasionally in the past broken away from the Classics in northern Belgium and France to spend a mid-week in Spain, such as in 2024 when he was in Spain between Flanders and Roubaix.<\/p>\n<div id=\"slice-container-newsletterForm-articleInbodyContent-5TxHtfmPkWSHntVViZ64dS\" class=\"slice-container newsletter-inbodyContent-slice newsletterForm-articleInbodyContent-5TxHtfmPkWSHntVViZ64dS slice-container-newsletterForm\">\n<div data-hydrate=\"true\" class=\"newsletter-form__wrapper newsletter-form__wrapper--inbodyContent\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-form__container\">\n<section class=\"newsletter-form__top-bar\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-form__header\">Get The Leadout Newsletter<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"newsletter-form__main-section\">\n<p class=\"newsletter-form__strapline\">The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!<\/p>\n<footer class=\"newsletter-form__footer \">By submitting your information you agree to the Terms &amp; Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.<\/footer>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"paywall\" aria-hidden=\"true\">His decisions are usually weather dependant. Last year, he had a long stretch between E3 and Flanders but opted to stay in Belgium, where it was warmer and drier than usual.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall\" aria-hidden=\"true\">The weather forecast in northern Belgium doesn&#8217;t look too bad. There&#8217;s little rain or wind forecast, apart from on Monday, but the temperatures barely rise into the double digits Celsius. Calpe shows sunny skies and temperatures in the high teens all week.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall\" aria-hidden=\"true\">In terms of his form, Van der Poel doesn&#8217;t have much ground to make up. He said he felt a little fatigued at In Flanders Fields, but that had something to do with his mammoth solo victory at E3 on Friday. He was very nearly caught, and he was made to look human, but he later revealed he recorded a personal record 90-minute power output of 446 watts.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall\" aria-hidden=\"true\">Alpecin-Premier Tech have confirmed to <em>Cyclingnews<\/em> that Van der Poel will return to Belgium on Friday. He will join his teammates for a short recon ride as well as his pre-race duties on the Saturday, before aiming for a record fourth Tour of Flanders title on Sunday.<\/p>\n<p>As for his rivals, almost all will remain in Belgium, with Van Aert racing Dwars on Wednesday. But his biggest adversary will also be flying in later in the week, with defending Flanders champion Tadej Poga\u010dar dropping onto the cobbles for Flanders and Roubaix after his Milan-San Remo victory just over a week ago.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><em><strong>Get unlimited access to our unrivalled <\/strong><\/em><em><strong>2026 Spring Classics<\/strong><\/em><em><strong> coverage with a Cyclingnews subscription. We&#8217;ll bring you breaking news, reports, and analysis from some of the biggest races on the calendar, including Milan-San Remo, Paris-Roubaix and the Tour of Flanders. <\/strong><\/em><u><em><strong>Find out more.<\/strong><\/em><\/u><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"slice-container-authorBio-5TxHtfmPkWSHntVViZ64dS\" class=\"slice-container slice-author-bio authorBio-5TxHtfmPkWSHntVViZ64dS slice-container-authorBio\">\n<div class=\"author author__default-layout author--separator author--collapsible\" data-hydrate=\"true\">\n<div class=\"author__header\">\n<div class=\"author__avatar-block\">\n<figure class=\"image-wrapped__wrapper\" data-bordeaux-image-check=\"false\">\n<div class=\"image-wrapped__widthsetter\">\n<div class=\"image-wrapped__aspect-padding\">\n<div><source class=\"author__avatar image-wrapped__image image__image\" type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/2QoJgeVtEMbCKNujw2pLoH-140-80.jpg.webp 140w\" sizes=\"99vw\" data-normal=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/2QoJgeVtEMbCKNujw2pLoH.jpg\" data-original-mos=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/2QoJgeVtEMbCKNujw2pLoH.jpg\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/2QoJgeVtEMbCKNujw2pLoH.jpg\" data-pin-nopin=\"true\" data-slice-image=\"true\" \/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"author__heading\">\n<div class=\"author__name\">Patrick Fletcher<\/div>\n<div class=\"author__role\">Deputy Editor<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"author__bio-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"author__biography\">\n<p>Patrick is an NCTJ-accredited journalist with a bachelor\u2019s degree in modern languages (French and Spanish) and a decade\u2019s experience in digital sports media, largely within the world of cycling. He re-joined Cyclingnews as Deputy Editor in February 2026, having previously spent eight years on staff between 2015 and 2023. In between, he was Deputy Editor at GCN and spent 18 months working across the sports portfolio at Future before returning to the cycling press pack. Patrick works across Cyclingnews\u2019 wide-ranging output, assisting the Editor in global content strategy, with a particular focus on shaping CN&#8217;s news operation.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<div class=\"mt-6 lg:px-0 relative max-w-[1070px] mx-auto viafoura-twig-component px-4\" data-component-name=\"Viafoura:Comments\" data-nosnippet data-community-guidelines-text=\"&lt;p class='vfcustom-community-guidelines'&gt;Please follow our &lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/about\/#section-community-guidelines&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;community guidelines&lt;\/a&gt;.&lt;\/p&gt;\" data-join-the-conversation-text=\"Join the Conversation\">\n<div class=\"absolute top-0 left-0 w-full h-full flex items-center justify-center z-50 bg-white\/90 border-1\">\n<div class=\"p-2 text-center\">\n<p class=\"mb-3 !text-lg\">You must confirm your public display name before commenting<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-3 !text-sm\">Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<section class=\"mx-2 my-5 sm:mx-0\">\n<aside class=\"w-full\" data-nosnippet data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-stacked\">\n<div data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-adviser:hybrid\">\n<div class=\"text-white py-4 px-3 mb-4 bg-[#333] uppercase font-bold custom-header-styles\">Read more<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid grid-cols-1 gap-4 mt-4 mb-5\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/3PJwHMar27BCFmrmRbiFzL-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/3PJwHMar27BCFmrmRbiFzL-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/3PJwHMar27BCFmrmRbiFzL-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/3PJwHMar27BCFmrmRbiFzL-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/3PJwHMar27BCFmrmRbiFzL-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Teams &amp; Riders<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;I&#8217;m certainly not at my best yet&#8217; \u2013 Mathieu van der Poel heads to Spain after going nine from nine in cyclo-cross, but the big goals are still to come<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/isP3PbU6FdHrUojBNey3wF-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/isP3PbU6FdHrUojBNey3wF-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/isP3PbU6FdHrUojBNey3wF-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/isP3PbU6FdHrUojBNey3wF-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/isP3PbU6FdHrUojBNey3wF-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Teams &amp; Riders<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Why Poga\u010dar and Van Aert&#8217;s teams aren&#8217;t sensing weakness for the Tour of Flanders despite Mathieu van der Poel&#8217;s near-miss at E3 Saxo Classic<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/xMH7UKbmKtyqUzWHF6JoST-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/xMH7UKbmKtyqUzWHF6JoST-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/xMH7UKbmKtyqUzWHF6JoST-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/xMH7UKbmKtyqUzWHF6JoST-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/xMH7UKbmKtyqUzWHF6JoST-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Teams &amp; Riders<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;Milan-San Remo should be fun&#8217; \u2013 Mathieu van der Poel shows he is ready for the Classics with Tirreno-Adriatico tactical masterclass<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/hAN3rApoRWgsxvfqp7pVPY-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/hAN3rApoRWgsxvfqp7pVPY-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/hAN3rApoRWgsxvfqp7pVPY-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/hAN3rApoRWgsxvfqp7pVPY-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/hAN3rApoRWgsxvfqp7pVPY-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Teams &amp; Riders<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;It&#8217;s at the back of my mind&#8217; &#8211; Fresh from Benidorm victory, Mathieu van der Poel eyes possible Omloop het Nieuwsblad debut in 2026<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/26zSpB7gDXmcUKycFmCwSR-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/26zSpB7gDXmcUKycFmCwSR-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/26zSpB7gDXmcUKycFmCwSR-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/26zSpB7gDXmcUKycFmCwSR-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/26zSpB7gDXmcUKycFmCwSR-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Teams &amp; Riders<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">The latest information on Mathieu van der Poel&#8217;s season build-up<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/MKWBaDLoZMm6zxaaaxGDTA-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/MKWBaDLoZMm6zxaaaxGDTA-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/MKWBaDLoZMm6zxaaaxGDTA-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/MKWBaDLoZMm6zxaaaxGDTA-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/MKWBaDLoZMm6zxaaaxGDTA-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Racing<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Soft pulls, subtle digs: The Tour of Flanders mind games have already begun \u2013 Analysis<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<aside class=\"w-full\" data-nosnippet data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-stacked\">\n<div data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-solr:latest-category\">\n<div class=\"text-white py-4 px-3 mb-4 bg-[#333] uppercase font-bold custom-header-styles\">Latest in Teams &amp; Riders<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid grid-cols-1 gap-4 mt-4 mb-5\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/upAciNBEaLB5QXgnJ46ytR-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/upAciNBEaLB5QXgnJ46ytR-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/upAciNBEaLB5QXgnJ46ytR-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/upAciNBEaLB5QXgnJ46ytR-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/upAciNBEaLB5QXgnJ46ytR-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Teams &amp; Riders<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;Feel like Mike Tyson punched me in the back&#8217; \u2013 Ben Turner dusts himself off after bizarre somersault crash at In Flanders Fields<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/fbhKqCBHZEF9DZz5i55KoT-840-80.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/fbhKqCBHZEF9DZz5i55KoT-650-80.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/fbhKqCBHZEF9DZz5i55KoT-500-80.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/fbhKqCBHZEF9DZz5i55KoT-450-80.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/fbhKqCBHZEF9DZz5i55KoT-320-80.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Teams &amp; Riders<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;Strong athletic potential and a high VO2 max&#8217; \u2013 Decathlon CMA CGM sign skier and four-time Olympic medallist \u00c9milien Jacquelin for NewGen Devo team project<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/LcHV4scDifcYtpPXLbFYE5-840-80.png.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/LcHV4scDifcYtpPXLbFYE5-650-80.png.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/LcHV4scDifcYtpPXLbFYE5-500-80.png.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/LcHV4scDifcYtpPXLbFYE5-450-80.png.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/LcHV4scDifcYtpPXLbFYE5-320-80.png.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Teams &amp; Riders<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">A dark horse for the podium at Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix? \u2013 Cycling&#8217;s new late attacker is making his presence impossible to ignore<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/5GZmJZf8qmx8Kyc3E4yqyX-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/5GZmJZf8qmx8Kyc3E4yqyX-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/5GZmJZf8qmx8Kyc3E4yqyX-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/5GZmJZf8qmx8Kyc3E4yqyX-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/5GZmJZf8qmx8Kyc3E4yqyX-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Teams &amp; Riders<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe have the makings of a great Tour of Flanders team, but is Remco Evenepoel the missing piece for taking on Poga\u010dar and Van der Poel?<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/yXXQXCGbSBwgQtDapyEEA3-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/yXXQXCGbSBwgQtDapyEEA3-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/yXXQXCGbSBwgQtDapyEEA3-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/yXXQXCGbSBwgQtDapyEEA3-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/yXXQXCGbSBwgQtDapyEEA3-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Teams &amp; Riders<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;I need to rest and see what&#8217;s wrong with me&#8217; \u2013 Jo\u00e3o Almeida off for medical tests after Volta a Catalunya struggles<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/RFsQPgVqh9mBM2sQpfTau8-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/RFsQPgVqh9mBM2sQpfTau8-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/RFsQPgVqh9mBM2sQpfTau8-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/RFsQPgVqh9mBM2sQpfTau8-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/RFsQPgVqh9mBM2sQpfTau8-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Emerging Talents<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;She&#8217;s a real go-getter&#8217; \u2013 Who is Fleur Moors, the rapidly rising star who has challenged Lorena Wiebes twice already this season?<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<aside class=\"w-full\" data-nosnippet data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-stacked\">\n<div data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-solr:latest-articletype\">\n<div class=\"text-white py-4 px-3 mb-4 bg-[#333] uppercase font-bold custom-header-styles\">Latest in News<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid grid-cols-1 gap-4 mt-4 mb-5\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/keuExybEEZWPSH5SLzW2LX-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/keuExybEEZWPSH5SLzW2LX-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/keuExybEEZWPSH5SLzW2LX-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/keuExybEEZWPSH5SLzW2LX-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/keuExybEEZWPSH5SLzW2LX-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Women&#8217;s Cycling<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;She&#8217;ll be one of our big cards to play&#8217; \u2013 Marlen Reusser primed to hit the ground running for Movistar at Dwars door Vlaanderen after long injury sideline<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/SKkMGBtSCAA23AaBz9KDyX-840-80.png.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/SKkMGBtSCAA23AaBz9KDyX-650-80.png.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/SKkMGBtSCAA23AaBz9KDyX-500-80.png.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/SKkMGBtSCAA23AaBz9KDyX-450-80.png.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/SKkMGBtSCAA23AaBz9KDyX-320-80.png.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Racing<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;We&#8217;ll certainly not make that same mistake again&#8217; \u2013 Can Wout van Aert and Visma take revenge at Dwars door Vlaanderen a year on from three-against-one tactical blunder?<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/9iRjhDpyxsHBF8oDq5aghf-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/9iRjhDpyxsHBF8oDq5aghf-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/9iRjhDpyxsHBF8oDq5aghf-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/9iRjhDpyxsHBF8oDq5aghf-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/9iRjhDpyxsHBF8oDq5aghf-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Women&#8217;s cycling (races)<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;Wiebes is an absolute animal&#8217; \u2013 Cat Ferguson says riders need to believe SD Worx-Protime star is beatable, or &#8216;it&#8217;s never going to happen&#8217;<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/dg5tGScNagTNBvNVTePeGU-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/dg5tGScNagTNBvNVTePeGU-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/dg5tGScNagTNBvNVTePeGU-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/dg5tGScNagTNBvNVTePeGU-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/dg5tGScNagTNBvNVTePeGU-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Racing<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;I misjudged this situation for a moment&#8217; \u2013 Fan apologises for close encounter of the nasal kind with Wout Van Aert at In Flanders Fields<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/upAciNBEaLB5QXgnJ46ytR-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/upAciNBEaLB5QXgnJ46ytR-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/upAciNBEaLB5QXgnJ46ytR-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/upAciNBEaLB5QXgnJ46ytR-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/upAciNBEaLB5QXgnJ46ytR-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Teams &amp; Riders<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;Feel like Mike Tyson punched me in the back&#8217; \u2013 Ben Turner dusts himself off after bizarre somersault crash at In Flanders Fields<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/fbhKqCBHZEF9DZz5i55KoT-840-80.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/fbhKqCBHZEF9DZz5i55KoT-650-80.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/fbhKqCBHZEF9DZz5i55KoT-500-80.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/fbhKqCBHZEF9DZz5i55KoT-450-80.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/fbhKqCBHZEF9DZz5i55KoT-320-80.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Teams &amp; Riders<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;Strong athletic potential and a high VO2 max&#8217; \u2013 Decathlon CMA CGM sign skier and four-time Olympic medallist \u00c9milien Jacquelin for NewGen Devo team project<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"widgetArea17\" class=\"widget-area md:basis-1\/3 widget-area-g-md-vp-1-3 widget-area-g-lg-vp-1-3 widget-area-g-xl-vp-1-3 page-widget-area-17\">\n<div data-widget-type=\"dynamic\" id=\"popular-data\" class=\"clear-both widget widget-dynamic widget-popular-data widget-dynamic-popular-data widget-dynamic-fter-popular-box\">\n<div class=\"wdn-fte-pb pos-relative space-t20\n\"><\/p>\n<div id=\"slice-container-popularBox\" class=\"slice-container popular-box-slice popularBox slice-container-popularBox\">\n<section data-hydrate=\"true\" class=\"popular-box\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__label\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__label__tab popular-box__label__tab--active\" role=\"heading\">LATEST ARTICLES<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<ol class=\"popular-box__articles-list popular-box__articles-list--active\">\n<li class=\"popular-box__article-list\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__container\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__image-wrapper\">\n<div><source class=\"popular-box__article-list__image image__image\" type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/SKkMGBtSCAA23AaBz9KDyX-320-80.png.webp 320w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/SKkMGBtSCAA23AaBz9KDyX-640-80.png.webp 640w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/SKkMGBtSCAA23AaBz9KDyX-720-80.png.webp 720w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/SKkMGBtSCAA23AaBz9KDyX-1280-80.png.webp 1280w\" sizes=\"99vw\" data-normal=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/SKkMGBtSCAA23AaBz9KDyX.png\" data-original-mos=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/SKkMGBtSCAA23AaBz9KDyX.png\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/SKkMGBtSCAA23AaBz9KDyX.png\" data-pin-nopin=\"true\" data-slice-image=\"true\" \/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__content\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__number-text\">1<\/div>\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__heading\">&#8216;We&#8217;ll certainly not make that same mistake again&#8217; 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\u2013 Cat Ferguson says riders need to believe SD Worx-Protime star is beatable, or &#8216;it&#8217;s never going to happen&#8217;<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"popular-box__article-list\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__container\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__content\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__number-text\">5<\/div>\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__heading\">Gavin Sherry and Flavia Oliveira scorch through timed sections to claim wins at third event in Grasshopper Series, King Ridge<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"page-content-onecol flex-1\nnews-article article\n\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"widget-area-group widget-area-group-2col flex flex-wrap box-border\">\n<div id=\"widgetArea16\" class=\"widget-area basis-full md:basis-2\/3 widget-area-g-md-vp-2-3 widget-area-g-lg-vp-2-3 widget-area-g-xl-vp-2-3 page-widget-area-16\">\n<div data-widget-type=\"hero\" id=\"hero\" class=\"clear-both widget widget-hero widget-hero widget-hero-hero widget-hero widget-hero-fter-news\">\n<div class=\"news-article\">\n<header data-component-name=\"Article:Hero\">\n<nav class=\"breadcrumb\" aria-label=\"Breadcrumbs\">\n<ol>\n<li>\nPro Cycling\n<\/li>\n<li>\nTeams &amp; Riders\n<\/li>\n<li>\nAlpecin-Premier Tech\n<\/li>\n<li>\nMathieu van der Poel\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/nav>\n<h1>Mathieu van der Poel retreats to Spain on private jet to fine-tune Tour of Flanders form<\/h1>\n<div class=\"byline-social\">\n<div class=\"byline\">\nNews<\/p>\n<div class=\"text-[13px]\"><span><br \/>\nBy<br \/>\nPatrick Fletcher <\/span><span><br \/>\npublished<br \/>\n<time data-component-name=\"UI:DateTime\" datetime=\"2026-03-30T12:03:43Z\" class=\"relative-date\"><br \/>\n30 March 2026<br \/>\n<\/time><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"strapline\">Dutchman opts for warm-weather preparation after exertions at E3 and In Flanders Fields<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"mx-auto mb-4 flex items-center justify-start mx-0 my-5 p-0\" id=\"affiliate-disclaimer\" data-component-name=\"AffiliateDisclaimer\" data-hawk-message=\"Affiliate disclaimer removed because hawk deemed there are no affiliate links on this page\">\n<p class=\"text-700 mb-2 text-[12px] leading-[18px] md:text-[13px] [&amp;&gt;a]:text-gray-700 [&amp;&gt;a]:underline\">\nWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here\u2019s how it works.\n<\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<\/header>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-widget-type=\"contentparsed\" id=\"content\" class=\"clear-both widget widget-contentparsed widget-content widget-contentparsed-content widget-content-parsed widget-content-parsed-content_document \">\n<div class=\"wcp-item-content\">\n<section class=\"content-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"box less-space hero-image-wrapper\">\n<figure class=\"mb-0\">\n<source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/7cZHn64DUq8U5itRQmrUn7-1024-80.jpg.webp 1920w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/7cZHn64DUq8U5itRQmrUn7-1024-80.jpg.webp 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/7cZHn64DUq8U5itRQmrUn7-1024-80.jpg.webp 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/7cZHn64DUq8U5itRQmrUn7-970-80.jpg.webp 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/7cZHn64DUq8U5itRQmrUn7-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/7cZHn64DUq8U5itRQmrUn7-480-80.jpg.webp 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/7cZHn64DUq8U5itRQmrUn7-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1000px) 600px, calc(100vw - 40px)\" \/><figcaption class=\"mt-2\"><span class=\"credit\">(Image credit: Getty Images)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"article-body\" class=\"text-copy bodyCopy auto paywall-locker\">\n<div data-analytics-id=\"utility-bar\" id=\"utility-bar\" class=\"font-ui-heading flex justify-between items-center py-2 border-t border-b border-gray-300 border-solid mb-5 mx-auto\" data-component-name=\"UtilityBar\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"utility-bar\">\n<div class=\"flex gap-2 text-[#333] subcontainer\">\n<div class=\"relative tooltip-container\" role=\"tooltip\">\n<div data-component-name=\"Social:Dropdown\" role=\"menu\" id=\"utilitybar__dropdown--share\" aria-labelledby=\"utilitybar__button--share\" class=\"absolute left-0 top-full w-44 bg-white rounded-md shadow-md border border-neutral-200 z-[9996] list-none m-0 py-2 px-3 border-solid\">\n<ul class=\"!m-0\">\n<li class=\"!p-0 !m-0 list-none border-b border-gray-200 border-solid\">\n<li class=\"!p-0 !m-0 list-none border-b border-gray-200 border-solid\">\n<p>Facebook<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"!p-0 !m-0 list-none border-b border-gray-200 border-solid\">\n<p>X<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"!p-0 !m-0 list-none border-b border-gray-200 border-solid\">\n<p>Pinterest<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"!p-0 !m-0 list-none border-b border-gray-200 border-solid\">\n<p>Email<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"font-ui-heading max-sm:hidden tooltip absolute left-1\/2 bg-gray-900 text-white text-xs leading-none px-3 py-1.5 rounded-md z-[10001] whitespace-nowrap\" id=\"tooltip-share-this-article\" role=\"tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\nShare this article\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"relative tooltip-container\" role=\"tooltip\"><span class=\"ml-1 inline-flex h-5 px-2 shrink-0 items-center justify-center self-center overflow-hidden whitespace-nowrap rounded-[10px] bg-primary-500 text-[11px] leading-none font-ui-heading font-semibold text-white\"><span>0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"font-ui-heading max-sm:hidden tooltip absolute left-1\/2 bg-gray-900 text-white text-xs leading-none px-3 py-1.5 rounded-md z-[10001] whitespace-nowrap\" id=\"tooltip-join-the-conversation\" role=\"tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\nJoin the conversation\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"flex gap-2 text-[#333] subcontainer\">\n<div class=\"relative tooltip-container\" role=\"tooltip\">\n<p>Follow us<\/p>\n<div class=\"font-ui-heading max-sm:hidden tooltip absolute left-1\/2 bg-gray-900 text-white text-xs leading-none px-3 py-1.5 rounded-md z-[10001] whitespace-nowrap\" id=\"tooltip-add-us-as-a-preferred-source-on-google\" role=\"tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\nAdd us as a preferred source on Google\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"relative tooltip-container\" role=\"tooltip\">\n<div role=\"dialog\" class=\"hidden fixed inset-0 z-[999999999999999999] bg-[#33333370] flex items-center justify-center p-6 newsletter-modal\" data-batch-endpoint=\"https:\/\/newsletter-subscribe.futureplc.com\/v2\/submission\/submit_batch\" data-batch-source=\"302\" data-component-name=\"Newsletter:Modal\">\n<div class=\"bg-neutral-100 rounded-xl shadow-xl w-full lg:w-2\/3 xl:w-1\/2 p-6 relative max-h-[95vh] overflow-y-auto\">\n<div id=\"newsletter-capture-modal\">\n<div class=\"sm:text-xl text-base font-bold text-black mb-3 p-0 bg-inherit font-ui-heading\">Get The Leadout Newsletter<\/div>\n<p class=\"text-gray-600 mb-4 text-sm sm:text-base font-article-copy\">The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!<\/p>\n<div data-component-name=\"Newsletter:NewsletterForm\">\n<hr class=\"modal_hr mt-3 mb-4 h-px bg-gray-300 border-0\">\n<div class=\"modal_footer block text-left opacity-80 text-[.8em] leading-[1.3em] mt-2 [&amp;&gt;a]:underline font-article-copy\">\nBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms &amp; Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"newsletter-modal-confirmation\" class=\"hidden\">\n<p class=\"sm:text-xl text-base font-bold text-black mb-3 p-0\">You are now subscribed<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-gray-600 mb-4 text-sm sm:text-base\">Your newsletter sign-up was successful<\/p>\n<div id=\"newsletter-modal-confirmation__userlogin\" class=\"hidden\">\n<hr class=\"my-5 h-px bg-gray-300 border-0\">\n<div class=\"items-start flex flex-col h-full justify-between\">\n<div class=\"flcw-text pb-5 pt-2 leading-[1.3]\"> An account already exists for this email address, please log in.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"font-ui-heading max-sm:hidden tooltip absolute left-1\/2 bg-gray-900 text-white text-xs leading-none px-3 py-1.5 rounded-md z-[10001] whitespace-nowrap\" id=\"tooltip-subscribe-to-our-newsletter\" role=\"tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\nSubscribe to our newsletter\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p id=\"elk-ccc787fd-2718-4596-9703-56093d6f5552\">Mathieu van der Poel has returned to his favoured training base of southern Spain in order to fine-tune his form ahead of the Tour of Flanders.<\/p>\n<p>The Classics star won E3 Saxo Classic on Friday before playing a starring role at In Flanders Fields on Sunday, but he will skip Wednesday\u2019s Dwars door Vlaanderen in favour of training in sunny Spain.<\/p>\n<p id=\"elk-ccc787fd-2718-4596-9703-56093d6f5552-2\" class=\"paywall\" aria-hidden=\"true\">Van der Poel in fact set off right after the finish of In Flanders Fields, where he animated the race in a two-up attack with his old foe Wout van Aert before slotting back into the bunch and watching his teammate Jasper Philipsen take the spoils.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"article-continues-below block py-2 text-sm\">Article continues below <\/span><\/p>\n<aside data-component-name=\"Recirculation:ArticleRiver\" data-recirculation-type=\"inline\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"Trending Bar\" data-nosnippet class=\"clear-both pb-0 pt-2 mb-4\"><span class=\"\n            flex\n            after:content-[''] after:flex-1 after:ml-4 after:my-[0.7rem] after:border-t after:border-solid after:border-t-[#ccc]\n            before:content-[''] before:flex-1 before:mr-4 before:my-[0.7rem] before:border-t before:border-solid before:border-t-[#ccc]\n            font-article-heading pb-0 !text-base uppercase sm:text-sm font-bold\n        \"><br \/>\n            You may like<br \/>\n        <\/span><\/p>\n<ul class=\"flex flex-col gap-0 m-0\">\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ededed] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-1\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-inline-1\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-inline-1\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/3PJwHMar27BCFmrmRbiFzL-250-80.jpg.webp 250w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/3PJwHMar27BCFmrmRbiFzL-150-80.jpg.webp 150w\" sizes=\"150px\" \/><span class=\"\n                            w-full font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2 text-base font-medium\">&#8216;I&#8217;m certainly not at my best yet&#8217; \u2013 Mathieu van der Poel heads to Spain after going nine from nine in cyclo-cross, but the big goals are still to come<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ededed] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-2\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-inline-2\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-inline-2\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/isP3PbU6FdHrUojBNey3wF-250-80.jpg.webp 250w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/isP3PbU6FdHrUojBNey3wF-150-80.jpg.webp 150w\" sizes=\"150px\" \/><span class=\"\n                            w-full font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2 text-base font-medium\">Why Poga\u010dar and Van Aert&#8217;s teams aren&#8217;t sensing weakness for the Tour of Flanders despite Mathieu van der Poel&#8217;s near-miss at E3 Saxo Classic<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ccc] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-3\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-inline-3\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-inline-3\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/xMH7UKbmKtyqUzWHF6JoST-250-80.jpg.webp 250w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/xMH7UKbmKtyqUzWHF6JoST-150-80.jpg.webp 150w\" sizes=\"150px\" \/><span class=\"\n                            w-full font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2 text-base font-medium\">&#8216;Milan-San Remo should be fun&#8217; \u2013 Mathieu van der Poel shows he is ready for the Classics with Tirreno-Adriatico tactical masterclass<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/aside>\n<p class=\"paywall\" aria-hidden=\"true\">Van der Poel headed straight to the Kortrijk-Wevelgem airport, just a stone&#8217;s throw from the finish line, where his private jet was waiting for him.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall\" aria-hidden=\"true\">&#8220;Last preparations in Spain for the Holy Week,&#8221; Van der Poel wrote in a social media post alongside footage of him walking towards his plane.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall\" aria-hidden=\"true\">Holy Week refers to the stretch that sees the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix take place on consecutive Sundays.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall\" aria-hidden=\"true\">Van der Poel has a training base in south east Spain, near Calpe, where he regularly trains over the winter. He has occasionally in the past broken away from the Classics in northern Belgium and France to spend a mid-week in Spain, such as in 2024 when he was in Spain between Flanders and Roubaix.<\/p>\n<div id=\"slice-container-newsletterForm-articleInbodyContent-5TxHtfmPkWSHntVViZ64dS\" class=\"slice-container newsletter-inbodyContent-slice newsletterForm-articleInbodyContent-5TxHtfmPkWSHntVViZ64dS slice-container-newsletterForm\">\n<div data-hydrate=\"true\" class=\"newsletter-form__wrapper newsletter-form__wrapper--inbodyContent\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-form__container\">\n<section class=\"newsletter-form__top-bar\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-form__header\">Get The Leadout Newsletter<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"newsletter-form__main-section\">\n<p class=\"newsletter-form__strapline\">The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!<\/p>\n<footer class=\"newsletter-form__footer \">By submitting your information you agree to the Terms &amp; Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.<\/footer>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"paywall\" aria-hidden=\"true\">His decisions are usually weather dependant. Last year, he had a long stretch between E3 and Flanders but opted to stay in Belgium, where it was warmer and drier than usual.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall\" aria-hidden=\"true\">The weather forecast in northern Belgium doesn&#8217;t look too bad. There&#8217;s little rain or wind forecast, apart from on Monday, but the temperatures barely rise into the double digits Celsius. Calpe shows sunny skies and temperatures in the high teens all week.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall\" aria-hidden=\"true\">In terms of his form, Van der Poel doesn&#8217;t have much ground to make up. He said he felt a little fatigued at In Flanders Fields, but that had something to do with his mammoth solo victory at E3 on Friday. He was very nearly caught, and he was made to look human, but he later revealed he recorded a personal record 90-minute power output of 446 watts.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall\" aria-hidden=\"true\">Alpecin-Premier Tech have confirmed to <em>Cyclingnews<\/em> that Van der Poel will return to Belgium on Friday. He will join his teammates for a short recon ride as well as his pre-race duties on the Saturday, before aiming for a record fourth Tour of Flanders title on Sunday.<\/p>\n<p>As for his rivals, almost all will remain in Belgium, with Van Aert racing Dwars on Wednesday. But his biggest adversary will also be flying in later in the week, with defending Flanders champion Tadej Poga\u010dar dropping onto the cobbles for Flanders and Roubaix after his Milan-San Remo victory just over a week ago.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><em><strong>Get unlimited access to our unrivalled <\/strong><\/em><em><strong>2026 Spring Classics<\/strong><\/em><em><strong> coverage with a Cyclingnews subscription. We&#8217;ll bring you breaking news, reports, and analysis from some of the biggest races on the calendar, including Milan-San Remo, Paris-Roubaix and the Tour of Flanders. <\/strong><\/em><u><em><strong>Find out more.<\/strong><\/em><\/u><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"slice-container-authorBio-5TxHtfmPkWSHntVViZ64dS\" class=\"slice-container slice-author-bio authorBio-5TxHtfmPkWSHntVViZ64dS slice-container-authorBio\">\n<div class=\"author author__default-layout author--separator author--collapsible\" data-hydrate=\"true\">\n<div class=\"author__header\">\n<div class=\"author__avatar-block\">\n<figure class=\"image-wrapped__wrapper\" data-bordeaux-image-check=\"false\">\n<div class=\"image-wrapped__widthsetter\">\n<div class=\"image-wrapped__aspect-padding\">\n<div><source class=\"author__avatar image-wrapped__image image__image\" type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/2QoJgeVtEMbCKNujw2pLoH-140-80.jpg.webp 140w\" sizes=\"99vw\" data-normal=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/2QoJgeVtEMbCKNujw2pLoH.jpg\" data-original-mos=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/2QoJgeVtEMbCKNujw2pLoH.jpg\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/2QoJgeVtEMbCKNujw2pLoH.jpg\" data-pin-nopin=\"true\" data-slice-image=\"true\" \/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"author__heading\">\n<div class=\"author__name\">Patrick Fletcher<\/div>\n<div class=\"author__role\">Deputy Editor<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"author__bio-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"author__biography\">\n<p>Patrick is an NCTJ-accredited journalist with a bachelor\u2019s degree in modern languages (French and Spanish) and a decade\u2019s experience in digital sports media, largely within the world of cycling. He re-joined Cyclingnews as Deputy Editor in February 2026, having previously spent eight years on staff between 2015 and 2023. In between, he was Deputy Editor at GCN and spent 18 months working across the sports portfolio at Future before returning to the cycling press pack. Patrick works across Cyclingnews\u2019 wide-ranging output, assisting the Editor in global content strategy, with a particular focus on shaping CN&#8217;s news operation.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<div class=\"mt-6 lg:px-0 relative max-w-[1070px] mx-auto viafoura-twig-component px-4\" data-component-name=\"Viafoura:Comments\" data-nosnippet data-community-guidelines-text=\"&lt;p class='vfcustom-community-guidelines'&gt;Please follow our &lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/about\/#section-community-guidelines&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;community guidelines&lt;\/a&gt;.&lt;\/p&gt;\" data-join-the-conversation-text=\"Join the Conversation\">\n<div class=\"absolute top-0 left-0 w-full h-full flex items-center justify-center z-50 bg-white\/90 border-1\">\n<div class=\"p-2 text-center\">\n<p class=\"mb-3 !text-lg\">You must confirm your public display name before commenting<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-3 !text-sm\">Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<section class=\"mx-2 my-5 sm:mx-0\">\n<aside class=\"w-full\" data-nosnippet data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-stacked\">\n<div data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-adviser:hybrid\">\n<div class=\"text-white py-4 px-3 mb-4 bg-[#333] uppercase font-bold custom-header-styles\">Read more<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid grid-cols-1 gap-4 mt-4 mb-5\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/3PJwHMar27BCFmrmRbiFzL-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/3PJwHMar27BCFmrmRbiFzL-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/3PJwHMar27BCFmrmRbiFzL-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/3PJwHMar27BCFmrmRbiFzL-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/3PJwHMar27BCFmrmRbiFzL-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Teams &amp; Riders<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;I&#8217;m certainly not at my best yet&#8217; \u2013 Mathieu van der Poel heads to Spain after going nine from nine in cyclo-cross, but the big goals are still to come<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/isP3PbU6FdHrUojBNey3wF-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/isP3PbU6FdHrUojBNey3wF-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/isP3PbU6FdHrUojBNey3wF-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/isP3PbU6FdHrUojBNey3wF-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/isP3PbU6FdHrUojBNey3wF-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Teams &amp; Riders<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Why Poga\u010dar and Van Aert&#8217;s teams aren&#8217;t sensing weakness for the Tour of Flanders despite Mathieu van der Poel&#8217;s near-miss at E3 Saxo Classic<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/xMH7UKbmKtyqUzWHF6JoST-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/xMH7UKbmKtyqUzWHF6JoST-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/xMH7UKbmKtyqUzWHF6JoST-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/xMH7UKbmKtyqUzWHF6JoST-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/xMH7UKbmKtyqUzWHF6JoST-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Teams &amp; Riders<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;Milan-San Remo should be fun&#8217; \u2013 Mathieu van der Poel shows he is ready for the Classics with Tirreno-Adriatico tactical masterclass<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/hAN3rApoRWgsxvfqp7pVPY-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/hAN3rApoRWgsxvfqp7pVPY-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/hAN3rApoRWgsxvfqp7pVPY-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/hAN3rApoRWgsxvfqp7pVPY-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/hAN3rApoRWgsxvfqp7pVPY-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Teams &amp; Riders<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;It&#8217;s at the back of my mind&#8217; &#8211; Fresh from Benidorm victory, Mathieu van der Poel eyes possible Omloop het Nieuwsblad debut in 2026<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/26zSpB7gDXmcUKycFmCwSR-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/26zSpB7gDXmcUKycFmCwSR-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/26zSpB7gDXmcUKycFmCwSR-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/26zSpB7gDXmcUKycFmCwSR-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/26zSpB7gDXmcUKycFmCwSR-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Teams &amp; Riders<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">The latest information on Mathieu van der Poel&#8217;s season build-up<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/MKWBaDLoZMm6zxaaaxGDTA-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/MKWBaDLoZMm6zxaaaxGDTA-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/MKWBaDLoZMm6zxaaaxGDTA-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/MKWBaDLoZMm6zxaaaxGDTA-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/MKWBaDLoZMm6zxaaaxGDTA-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Racing<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Soft pulls, subtle digs: The Tour of Flanders mind games have already begun \u2013 Analysis<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<aside class=\"w-full\" data-nosnippet data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-stacked\">\n<div data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-solr:latest-category\">\n<div class=\"text-white py-4 px-3 mb-4 bg-[#333] uppercase font-bold custom-header-styles\">Latest in Teams &amp; Riders<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid grid-cols-1 gap-4 mt-4 mb-5\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/upAciNBEaLB5QXgnJ46ytR-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/upAciNBEaLB5QXgnJ46ytR-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/upAciNBEaLB5QXgnJ46ytR-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/upAciNBEaLB5QXgnJ46ytR-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/upAciNBEaLB5QXgnJ46ytR-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Teams &amp; Riders<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;Feel like Mike Tyson punched me in the back&#8217; \u2013 Ben Turner dusts himself off after bizarre somersault crash at In Flanders Fields<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/fbhKqCBHZEF9DZz5i55KoT-840-80.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/fbhKqCBHZEF9DZz5i55KoT-650-80.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/fbhKqCBHZEF9DZz5i55KoT-500-80.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/fbhKqCBHZEF9DZz5i55KoT-450-80.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/fbhKqCBHZEF9DZz5i55KoT-320-80.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Teams &amp; Riders<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;Strong athletic potential and a high VO2 max&#8217; \u2013 Decathlon CMA CGM sign skier and four-time Olympic medallist \u00c9milien Jacquelin for NewGen Devo team project<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/LcHV4scDifcYtpPXLbFYE5-840-80.png.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/LcHV4scDifcYtpPXLbFYE5-650-80.png.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/LcHV4scDifcYtpPXLbFYE5-500-80.png.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/LcHV4scDifcYtpPXLbFYE5-450-80.png.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/LcHV4scDifcYtpPXLbFYE5-320-80.png.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Teams &amp; Riders<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">A dark horse for the podium at Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix? \u2013 Cycling&#8217;s new late attacker is making his presence impossible to ignore<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/5GZmJZf8qmx8Kyc3E4yqyX-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/5GZmJZf8qmx8Kyc3E4yqyX-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/5GZmJZf8qmx8Kyc3E4yqyX-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/5GZmJZf8qmx8Kyc3E4yqyX-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/5GZmJZf8qmx8Kyc3E4yqyX-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Teams &amp; Riders<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe have the makings of a great Tour of Flanders team, but is Remco Evenepoel the missing piece for taking on Poga\u010dar and Van der Poel?<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/yXXQXCGbSBwgQtDapyEEA3-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/yXXQXCGbSBwgQtDapyEEA3-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/yXXQXCGbSBwgQtDapyEEA3-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/yXXQXCGbSBwgQtDapyEEA3-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/yXXQXCGbSBwgQtDapyEEA3-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Teams &amp; Riders<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;I need to rest and see what&#8217;s wrong with me&#8217; \u2013 Jo\u00e3o Almeida off for medical tests after Volta a Catalunya struggles<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/RFsQPgVqh9mBM2sQpfTau8-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/RFsQPgVqh9mBM2sQpfTau8-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/RFsQPgVqh9mBM2sQpfTau8-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/RFsQPgVqh9mBM2sQpfTau8-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/RFsQPgVqh9mBM2sQpfTau8-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Emerging Talents<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;She&#8217;s a real go-getter&#8217; \u2013 Who is Fleur Moors, the rapidly rising star who has challenged Lorena Wiebes twice already this season?<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<aside class=\"w-full\" data-nosnippet data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-stacked\">\n<div data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-solr:latest-articletype\">\n<div class=\"text-white py-4 px-3 mb-4 bg-[#333] uppercase font-bold custom-header-styles\">Latest in News<\/div>\n<div class=\"grid grid-cols-1 gap-4 mt-4 mb-5\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/keuExybEEZWPSH5SLzW2LX-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/keuExybEEZWPSH5SLzW2LX-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/keuExybEEZWPSH5SLzW2LX-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/keuExybEEZWPSH5SLzW2LX-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/keuExybEEZWPSH5SLzW2LX-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Women&#8217;s Cycling<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;She&#8217;ll be one of our big cards to play&#8217; \u2013 Marlen Reusser primed to hit the ground running for Movistar at Dwars door Vlaanderen after long injury sideline<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/SKkMGBtSCAA23AaBz9KDyX-840-80.png.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/SKkMGBtSCAA23AaBz9KDyX-650-80.png.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/SKkMGBtSCAA23AaBz9KDyX-500-80.png.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/SKkMGBtSCAA23AaBz9KDyX-450-80.png.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/SKkMGBtSCAA23AaBz9KDyX-320-80.png.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Racing<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;We&#8217;ll certainly not make that same mistake again&#8217; \u2013 Can Wout van Aert and Visma take revenge at Dwars door Vlaanderen a year on from three-against-one tactical blunder?<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/9iRjhDpyxsHBF8oDq5aghf-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/9iRjhDpyxsHBF8oDq5aghf-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/9iRjhDpyxsHBF8oDq5aghf-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/9iRjhDpyxsHBF8oDq5aghf-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/9iRjhDpyxsHBF8oDq5aghf-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Women&#8217;s cycling (races)<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;Wiebes is an absolute animal&#8217; \u2013 Cat Ferguson says riders need to believe SD Worx-Protime star is beatable, or &#8216;it&#8217;s never going to happen&#8217;<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/dg5tGScNagTNBvNVTePeGU-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/dg5tGScNagTNBvNVTePeGU-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/dg5tGScNagTNBvNVTePeGU-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/dg5tGScNagTNBvNVTePeGU-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/dg5tGScNagTNBvNVTePeGU-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Racing<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;I misjudged this situation for a moment&#8217; \u2013 Fan apologises for close encounter of the nasal kind with Wout Van Aert at In Flanders Fields<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/upAciNBEaLB5QXgnJ46ytR-840-80.jpg.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/upAciNBEaLB5QXgnJ46ytR-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/upAciNBEaLB5QXgnJ46ytR-500-80.jpg.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/upAciNBEaLB5QXgnJ46ytR-450-80.jpg.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/upAciNBEaLB5QXgnJ46ytR-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Teams &amp; Riders<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;Feel like Mike Tyson punched me in the back&#8217; \u2013 Ben Turner dusts himself off after bizarre somersault crash at In Flanders Fields<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"aspect-[--img-listing-aspect-ratio,16\/9] relative mb-3.5\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/fbhKqCBHZEF9DZz5i55KoT-840-80.webp 840w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/fbhKqCBHZEF9DZz5i55KoT-650-80.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/fbhKqCBHZEF9DZz5i55KoT-500-80.webp 500w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/fbhKqCBHZEF9DZz5i55KoT-450-80.webp 450w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/fbhKqCBHZEF9DZz5i55KoT-320-80.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 900px) 925px, (min-width: 700px) 450px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"custom-subheading-styles\">Teams &amp; Riders<\/span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block custom-text-styles\">&#8216;Strong athletic potential and a high VO2 max&#8217; \u2013 Decathlon CMA CGM sign skier and four-time Olympic medallist \u00c9milien Jacquelin for NewGen Devo team project<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"relative recirc-feed sponsored-card min-h-[250px]\" data-recirc-id=\"article-river-stacked-ads:native-cards\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-river-ads\" data-nosnippet data-ad-slot-path=\"feed-sponsored-post\" data-attribute-device=\"all\">\n<div class=\"sponsored-post--placeholder max-w-full animate-pulse\"><span><span class=\"text-base text-black font-bold mx-0 my-2.5 p-0 block bg-gray-100\">\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"widgetArea17\" class=\"widget-area md:basis-1\/3 widget-area-g-md-vp-1-3 widget-area-g-lg-vp-1-3 widget-area-g-xl-vp-1-3 page-widget-area-17\">\n<div data-widget-type=\"dynamic\" id=\"popular-data\" class=\"clear-both widget widget-dynamic widget-popular-data widget-dynamic-popular-data widget-dynamic-fter-popular-box\">\n<div class=\"wdn-fte-pb pos-relative space-t20\n\"><\/p>\n<div id=\"slice-container-popularBox\" class=\"slice-container popular-box-slice popularBox slice-container-popularBox\">\n<section data-hydrate=\"true\" class=\"popular-box\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__label\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__label__tab popular-box__label__tab--active\" role=\"heading\">LATEST ARTICLES<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<ol class=\"popular-box__articles-list popular-box__articles-list--active\">\n<li class=\"popular-box__article-list\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__container\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__image-wrapper\">\n<div><source class=\"popular-box__article-list__image image__image\" type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/SKkMGBtSCAA23AaBz9KDyX-320-80.png.webp 320w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/SKkMGBtSCAA23AaBz9KDyX-640-80.png.webp 640w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/SKkMGBtSCAA23AaBz9KDyX-720-80.png.webp 720w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/SKkMGBtSCAA23AaBz9KDyX-1280-80.png.webp 1280w\" sizes=\"99vw\" data-normal=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/SKkMGBtSCAA23AaBz9KDyX.png\" data-original-mos=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/SKkMGBtSCAA23AaBz9KDyX.png\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/SKkMGBtSCAA23AaBz9KDyX.png\" data-pin-nopin=\"true\" data-slice-image=\"true\" \/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__content\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__number-text\">1<\/div>\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__heading\">&#8216;We&#8217;ll certainly not make that same mistake again&#8217; 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\u2013 Cat Ferguson says riders need to believe SD Worx-Protime star is beatable, or &#8216;it&#8217;s never going to happen&#8217;<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"popular-box__article-list\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__container\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__content\">\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__number-text\">5<\/div>\n<div class=\"popular-box__article-list__heading\">Gavin Sherry and Flavia Oliveira scorch through timed sections to claim wins at third event in Grasshopper Series, King Ridge<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"news-article\">\n<header data-component-name=\"Article:Hero\">\n<nav class=\"breadcrumb\" aria-label=\"Breadcrumbs\">\n<ol>\n<li>\nPro Cycling\n<\/li>\n<li>\nTeams &amp; Riders\n<\/li>\n<li>\nAlpecin-Premier Tech\n<\/li>\n<li>\nMathieu van der Poel\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/nav>\n<h1>Mathieu van der Poel retreats to Spain on private jet to fine-tune Tour of Flanders form<\/h1>\n<div class=\"byline-social\">\n<div class=\"byline\">\nNews<\/p>\n<div class=\"text-[13px]\"><span><br \/>\nBy<br \/>\nPatrick Fletcher <\/span><span><br \/>\npublished<br \/>\n<time data-component-name=\"UI:DateTime\" datetime=\"2026-03-30T12:03:43Z\" class=\"relative-date\"><br \/>\n30 March 2026<br \/>\n<\/time><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"strapline\">Dutchman opts for warm-weather preparation after exertions at E3 and In Flanders Fields<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"mx-auto mb-4 flex items-center justify-start mx-0 my-5 p-0\" id=\"affiliate-disclaimer\" data-component-name=\"AffiliateDisclaimer\" data-hawk-message=\"Affiliate disclaimer removed because hawk deemed there are no affiliate links on this page\">\n<p class=\"text-700 mb-2 text-[12px] leading-[18px] md:text-[13px] [&amp;&gt;a]:text-gray-700 [&amp;&gt;a]:underline\">\nWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. 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Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"newsletter-modal-confirmation\" class=\"hidden\">\n<p class=\"sm:text-xl text-base font-bold text-black mb-3 p-0\">You are now subscribed<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-gray-600 mb-4 text-sm sm:text-base\">Your newsletter sign-up was successful<\/p>\n<div id=\"newsletter-modal-confirmation__userlogin\" class=\"hidden\">\n<hr class=\"my-5 h-px bg-gray-300 border-0\">\n<div class=\"items-start flex flex-col h-full justify-between\">\n<div class=\"flcw-text pb-5 pt-2 leading-[1.3]\"> An account already exists for this email address, please log in.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"font-ui-heading max-sm:hidden tooltip absolute left-1\/2 bg-gray-900 text-white text-xs leading-none px-3 py-1.5 rounded-md z-[10001] whitespace-nowrap\" id=\"tooltip-subscribe-to-our-newsletter\" role=\"tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\nSubscribe to our newsletter\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p id=\"elk-ccc787fd-2718-4596-9703-56093d6f5552\">Mathieu van der Poel has returned to his favoured training base of southern Spain in order to fine-tune his form ahead of the Tour of Flanders.<\/p>\n<p>The Classics star won E3 Saxo Classic on Friday before playing a starring role at In Flanders Fields on Sunday, but he will skip Wednesday\u2019s Dwars door Vlaanderen in favour of training in sunny Spain.<\/p>\n<p id=\"elk-ccc787fd-2718-4596-9703-56093d6f5552-2\" class=\"paywall\" aria-hidden=\"true\">Van der Poel in fact set off right after the finish of In Flanders Fields, where he animated the race in a two-up attack with his old foe Wout van Aert before slotting back into the bunch and watching his teammate Jasper Philipsen take the spoils.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"article-continues-below block py-2 text-sm\">Article continues below <\/span><\/p>\n<aside data-component-name=\"Recirculation:ArticleRiver\" data-recirculation-type=\"inline\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"Trending Bar\" data-nosnippet class=\"clear-both pb-0 pt-2 mb-4\"><span class=\"\n            flex\n            after:content-[''] after:flex-1 after:ml-4 after:my-[0.7rem] after:border-t after:border-solid after:border-t-[#ccc]\n            before:content-[''] before:flex-1 before:mr-4 before:my-[0.7rem] before:border-t before:border-solid before:border-t-[#ccc]\n            font-article-heading pb-0 !text-base uppercase sm:text-sm font-bold\n        \"><br \/>\n            You may like<br \/>\n        <\/span><\/p>\n<ul class=\"flex flex-col gap-0 m-0\">\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ededed] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-1\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-inline-1\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-inline-1\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/3PJwHMar27BCFmrmRbiFzL-250-80.jpg.webp 250w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/3PJwHMar27BCFmrmRbiFzL-150-80.jpg.webp 150w\" sizes=\"150px\" \/><span class=\"\n                            w-full font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2 text-base font-medium\">&#8216;I&#8217;m certainly not at my best yet&#8217; \u2013 Mathieu van der Poel heads to Spain after going nine from nine in cyclo-cross, but the big goals are still to come<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ededed] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-2\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-inline-2\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-inline-2\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/isP3PbU6FdHrUojBNey3wF-250-80.jpg.webp 250w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/isP3PbU6FdHrUojBNey3wF-150-80.jpg.webp 150w\" sizes=\"150px\" \/><span class=\"\n                            w-full font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2 text-base font-medium\">Why Poga\u010dar and Van Aert&#8217;s teams aren&#8217;t sensing weakness for the Tour of Flanders despite Mathieu van der Poel&#8217;s near-miss at E3 Saxo Classic<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"m-0 list-none border-b border-solid border-[#ccc] py-2\" data-recirculation-id=\"recirculation-card-3\" data-analytics-id=\"recirculation-inline-3\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"recirculation-inline-3\">\n    <source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/xMH7UKbmKtyqUzWHF6JoST-250-80.jpg.webp 250w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/xMH7UKbmKtyqUzWHF6JoST-150-80.jpg.webp 150w\" sizes=\"150px\" \/><span class=\"\n                            w-full font-article-heading line-clamp-3 md:line-clamp-2 text-base font-medium\">&#8216;Milan-San Remo should be fun&#8217; \u2013 Mathieu van der Poel shows he is ready for the Classics with Tirreno-Adriatico tactical masterclass<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/aside>\n<p class=\"paywall\" aria-hidden=\"true\">Van der Poel headed straight to the Kortrijk-Wevelgem airport, just a stone&#8217;s throw from the finish line, where his private jet was waiting for him.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall\" aria-hidden=\"true\">&#8220;Last preparations in Spain for the Holy Week,&#8221; Van der Poel wrote in a social media post alongside footage of him walking towards his plane.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall\" aria-hidden=\"true\">Holy Week refers to the stretch that sees the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix take place on consecutive Sundays.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall\" aria-hidden=\"true\">Van der Poel has a training base in south east Spain, near Calpe, where he regularly trains over the winter. He has occasionally in the past broken away from the Classics in northern Belgium and France to spend a mid-week in Spain, such as in 2024 when he was in Spain between Flanders and Roubaix.<\/p>\n<div id=\"slice-container-newsletterForm-articleInbodyContent-5TxHtfmPkWSHntVViZ64dS\" class=\"slice-container newsletter-inbodyContent-slice newsletterForm-articleInbodyContent-5TxHtfmPkWSHntVViZ64dS slice-container-newsletterForm\">\n<div data-hydrate=\"true\" class=\"newsletter-form__wrapper newsletter-form__wrapper--inbodyContent\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-form__container\">\n<section class=\"newsletter-form__top-bar\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-form__header\">Get The Leadout Newsletter<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"newsletter-form__main-section\">\n<p class=\"newsletter-form__strapline\">The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!<\/p>\n<footer class=\"newsletter-form__footer \">By submitting your information you agree to the Terms &amp; Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.<\/footer>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"paywall\" aria-hidden=\"true\">His decisions are usually weather dependant. Last year, he had a long stretch between E3 and Flanders but opted to stay in Belgium, where it was warmer and drier than usual.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall\" aria-hidden=\"true\">The weather forecast in northern Belgium doesn&#8217;t look too bad. There&#8217;s little rain or wind forecast, apart from on Monday, but the temperatures barely rise into the double digits Celsius. Calpe shows sunny skies and temperatures in the high teens all week.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall\" aria-hidden=\"true\">In terms of his form, Van der Poel doesn&#8217;t have much ground to make up. He said he felt a little fatigued at In Flanders Fields, but that had something to do with his mammoth solo victory at E3 on Friday. He was very nearly caught, and he was made to look human, but he later revealed he recorded a personal record 90-minute power output of 446 watts.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall\" aria-hidden=\"true\">Alpecin-Premier Tech have confirmed to <em>Cyclingnews<\/em> that Van der Poel will return to Belgium on Friday. He will join his teammates for a short recon ride as well as his pre-race duties on the Saturday, before aiming for a record fourth Tour of Flanders title on Sunday.<\/p>\n<p>As for his rivals, almost all will remain in Belgium, with Van Aert racing Dwars on Wednesday. But his biggest adversary will also be flying in later in the week, with defending Flanders champion Tadej Poga\u010dar dropping onto the cobbles for Flanders and Roubaix after his Milan-San Remo victory just over a week ago.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><em><strong>Get unlimited access to our unrivalled <\/strong><\/em><em><strong>2026 Spring Classics<\/strong><\/em><em><strong> coverage with a Cyclingnews subscription. We&#8217;ll bring you breaking news, reports, and analysis from some of the biggest races on the calendar, including Milan-San Remo, Paris-Roubaix and the Tour of Flanders. <\/strong><\/em><u><em><strong>Find out more.<\/strong><\/em><\/u><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>[analyse_source url=&#8221;https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/pro-cycling\/teams-riders\/mathieu-van-der-poel-retreats-to-spain-on-private-jet-to-fine-tune-tour-of-flanders-form\/&#8221;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/7cZHn64DUq8U5itRQmrUn7-1024-80.jpg&#8221;] Pro Cycling Teams &amp; Riders Alpecin-Premier Tech Mathieu van der Poel Mathieu van der Poel retreats to Spain on private jet to fine-tune Tour of Flanders form News By Patrick Fletcher published 30 March 2026 Dutchman opts for warm-weather preparation after exertions at E3 and In Flanders Fields When you purchase through [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[226,68],"class_list":["post-1858463","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-crawlmanager","tag-cyclingnews-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1858463","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1858463"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1858463\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1858463"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1858463"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1858463"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}