Mathieu van der Poel won the Tour of Flanders for a third time on Sunday, joining the list of record holders. This includes Tom Boonen.
Van der Poel next to Boonen
Obviously one of the Belgian cycling greats and probably the biggest name of the past 25 years. But in terms of allure, Van der Poel has now caught up with him, says Michel Wuyts in the podcast of Het Laatste Nieuws, Wuyts & Vlaeminck. “It is very dangerous, but the answer is yes,” said Wuyts there.
“Van der Poel is now standing next to Boonen. Mind you, Boonen has won Paris-Roubaix 4 times. But no Milan-San Remo. And Van der Poel already has that on his list. Comparing with Boonen is a very sensitive matter in Flanders. But I’ll put it next to it anyway. Point.”
“Given the wide range of possibilities that Van der Poel has and still has. He’s also only 29. It doesn’t stop here. Van der Poel also won the Amstel Gold Race in a unique way. People here sometimes make fun of that course. But that was really impressive.”
Best rider ever
At Van der Poel we talk about more than just a road cyclist. The six-time world champion is probably also the best cyclocross rider in the history of cross country. “You have no choice but to rate him very highly,” Wuyts is convinced.
