Cycling, Pogacar between Flanders and Roubaix: "Van Der Poel is strong, but I can beat him"

Rome, 4 April 2025 - The objective on the horizon is double and very big, but complicated challenges do not scare him: even more so after the bitterness for the umpteenth Milan-Sanremo got out of hand. The protagonist is Tadej pogacar, which first targets the Giro delle Fiandre 2025 and then the Paris-Roubaix 2025, that of the highly anticipated absolute debut.  

Pogacar's Record-Breaking Training for Paris-Roubaix

  Starting from this last race, after the much talked about reconnaissance lap in the Arenberg Forest, the preparation continues with other sessions, one of which is even long and well 212,9 km. Woe betide anyone who thinks of a simple jaunt by pogacar, that on the platform Strava he conquered well 3 KOM (the prize of the King of Mountains relating to the best time in a given section): to be precise, those of Mons-en-Pevele, recording an average speed of 40,2 km/h, Auchy-lez-Orchies e Bersee (with an average speed of 42,1 km/h) And Gruson (for an average speed of 48,8 km/h). In reality, the Slovenian came close to winning five, failing to win the KOM of the Carrefour de l'Arbre, one of the most iconic features of the Paris-Roubaix: for him an average speed of 41 km/h which by just a second was not enough to earn another laurel on the most loved app by professional and amateur cyclists. All this happened on 2th April, day of the session of pogacar from the duration of 5h39', to 1.098 meters in altitude, which however did not distract him from the first objective in chronological order: the Giro delle Fiandre 2025, scheduled Sunday April 6.

Pogacar's statements

  Intercepted by the microphones of Nieuwsblad, the runner of theUAE Team Emirates-XRG has thrown down the gauntlet to Mathieu van der Poel after losing the first head to head of the season, the one at Milan-Sanremo 2025. "I don't know if we start on equal terms or if one of us is more favored than the other. He beat me in March, but the Tour of Flanders It's a completely different race: it's harder and you have to accumulate much more fatigue during the day. I think I have a better chance of detaching him than the Milan-Sanremo, because the climbs are harder and you face them with increasingly tired legs. This should be an advantage for me, but in the conditions in which it is Mathieu winning will still be difficult." In short, pogacar says it all and its opposite, as evidence of the still-present disappointment from the first round, the one lost at Via Roma. "Walls and cobblestones are the favourite terrain of Van der Poel. He said he missed me at E3 Sax Classic (won by the Dutchman, ed.)? I like competing with him, but I chose to stay with my girlfriend". Jokes aside, the world champion seems to fear another sprint. "He's one of the strongest there, even if maybe in this case he could arrive more tired, but I could be too". Finally, a comment on Paris-Roubaix, between reality and pre-tactics. "I chose to go there and my times in training were helped by the wind in my favor and the bike in front. It's a dangerous race, but ultimately all of them are when there's speed."

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