Last Sunday (29), through social networks and official websites, Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) won another trophy and secured first place in the general classification at the Madrid Criteria. Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates) and Omar Fraile (Ineos Grenadiers) remained in second and third place in the competition.
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“It’s really great to be here, with a lot of people. I liked it and the atmosphere was good. The route was difficult, very short and intense”, said the athlete in a press conference after finishing the race. The competition marks the beginning of the cyclist’s professional career, as it was the first time he participated in a race in Spain.
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After the end of the Madrid Criterion, Mathieu van der Poel declared that his season was not yet over. The cyclist will participate in 10 to 15 cyclocross races that will be held in December, in Tabor, and aims to defend the title of world champion in the category.
“Cyclocross is something I’ve done since I was a child. I think a road classic is very similar to a cyclocross race, the only difference is that you have to race five hours beforehand. Now I can be well rested at the end of long runs. The process started a few years ago and now I think I’m also at my best on the road”, Mathieu van der Poel told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
The cyclist also commented on his intentions for next year: “I’m looking forward to 2024 and competing in the classics with the rainbow jersey. I no longer have goals in cyclocross, so my goals changed to the road and this year I was very lucky. I still have some dreams and this year I won three of them in one season, so it’s been an amazing season for me. My goals will really be the Classics. It will be difficult to win again, but I want to try. I want to win a classic with the rainbow shirt.”