Mathieu van der Poel confirms road schedule for 2025 season, rules out UCI Road World Championships in Rwanda

Mathieu van der Poel has confirmed his plan of attack for the 2025 road season, with the Dutchman declining the opportunity to race in Rwanda at the 2025 Road World Championships. Instead, the 30-year-old will face off with Tom Pidcock for the mountain bike world title. Van der Poel will be aiming for a record fourth Tour of Flanders crown, as his preparations for the Tour de France ramp up.

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Mathieu van der Poel has confirmed his schedule for the 2025 road season, as the seven-time cyclo-cross world champion swaps mud for tarmac.

Van der Poel went level with the late Erik De Vlaeminck in terms of cyclo-cross world titles at the start of February, and the joint-record holder is now gearing up for his fifth Tour de France in July.

He confirmed that he would not be participating at the 2025 UCI Road World Championships in Rwanda, but plans to compete at the Mountain Bike World Championships instead.

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In a change to his usual schedule, the Dutchman will kick off his campaign with Tirreno-Adriatico "because this is the best preparation for Milano-San Remo," explained Van der Poel in a press conference.

The last time the Alpecin-Deceuninck rider raced the Tirreno-Adriatico was back in 2021, when he won stages three and five.

Milan-San Remo, on the other hand, is a staple of Van der Poel’s season and he is set to compete there for the fifth year in a row this March.

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The multi-disciplinarian won the monument in 2023 and will be eyeing more glory at the Tour of Flanders in April, after taking on the E3 Saxo Classic at the end of March.

No man has won De Ronde more than three times, and so Van der Poel has the chance to claim a slice of history, should he win his fourth this spring.

But his performance and his fitness levels will be of greater importance than the record, as the Dutchman hopes to give a better showing at this year’s Tour de France compared with the 2024 edition.

"Do I want to be the first to win the Tour of Flanders four times? It's like the Cyclo-cross World Championships: I'm more concerned with the race than with the record," said Van der Poel.

After the Belgian monument, Van der Poel has set his sights on a Paris-Roubaix three-peat, aiming to retain his titles won in 2023 and 2024.

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Then comes the Tour, where he will hope to improve on his 96th place finish from last season and win his first stage since his maiden victory in 2021.

Van der Poel’s schedule beyond the summer is less certain, but one thing is for sure, he will not be present at the Road World Championships in Rwanda this September.

Instead, the Dutchman has chosen to go head-to-head with Tom Pidcock for the mountain bike world title, which will be awarded in Crans Montana, Switzerland two weeks prior to the Rwanda festival of cycling.

"I'd have no chance of winning out in Rwanda," explained Van der Poel.

"Gent-Wevelgem will definitely not be this year. Dwars door Vlaanderen will also be decided later. I'd rather win the Tour four times than Gent-Wevelgem for the first time," added the Dutchman.

Van der Poel's 2025 schedule

Tirreno-Adriatico - March 10-16
Milan-San Remo - March 22
E3 Saxo Classic - March 28
Tour of Flanders - April 6
Paris-Roubaix - April 13
Tour de France - July 5-31
Mountain Bike World Championships - August 30 - September 14

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