The reason for that reaction was simple. Even riders who spent years racing against the Alpecin leader admit they struggled to find a way to neutralise him once the race exploded. “When I was racing myself, I also couldn’t figure out how you stop Van der Poel. That’s almost impossible.”
That sentiment became reality once again during Opening Weekend. Despite admitting beforehand that he was not yet at full strength, Van der Poel produced a dominant performance on the Molenberg to ride clear and take the first road victory of his 2026 campaign.
A dominance built on an exceptional base level
“I think a lot of riders were already at one hundred percent,” Groenewegen explained on the NOS Wielerpodcast. “With Mathieu, the base level is just so high. Even at ninety-five per cent, he’s still at top level, and heading towards the Tour of Flanders, there will probably still be another step.”
That observation will not be encouraging for the riders hoping to challenge Van der Poel in the monuments ahead. If Omloop Het Nieuwsblad already represented a dominant performance, Groenewegen’s suggestion that another step is still to come points to an even more formidable rival in the weeks leading towards the biggest races of the spring.
Changing how the classics are raced
Van der Poel’s influence on the modern classics extends beyond his results alone. According to Groenewegen, the Alpecin leader has also changed how teams approach these races tactically.
“Mathieu is one of the first riders who thought: ‘I’ll open the race myself, then I control it,’” Groenewegen said. “That has also changed the tactics of Visma | Lease a Bike a little bit. They often used to create situations where they had numbers, but he has made it more of a one-on-one battle. And in those situations, he is often the strongest.”
That approach was visible again in Omloop Het Nieuwsblad. Rather than waiting for rivals to attack, Van der Poel seized the initiative himself at the decisive moment and quickly turned the race into a test of pure strength.
A daunting prospect for the peloton
With the classics season now moving rapidly towards races such as Strade Bianche and the Tour of Flanders, Dumoulin believes Van der Poel’s rivals may already face a daunting challenge.
The Dutchman’s combination of explosive power, tactical instinct and the ability to control a race from the front has repeatedly left opponents searching for answers. Even riders who spent years racing against him admit they never truly discovered a reliable way to stop him.
After Opening Weekend, that dilemma appears as pressing as ever. Van der Poel may have claimed he was not yet at full strength, but the manner of his victory in Omloop Het Nieuwsblad suggests that even slightly below his peak, he remains the benchmark everyone else must find a way to beat this spring.