Mathieu van der Poel has said "it's only a matter of time" before Tadej Pogačar wins Milan-San Remo, having played a huge role in denying the Slovenian a maiden victory in the Italian Monument the past three years.
The Dutchman, a two-time winner at La Primavera, has been sharpening the tools this past week at Tirreno-Adriatico, before facing off with Pogačar for the first time this season, netting two stage wins and maintaining his supreme form from winning Omloop Nieuwsblad solo.
He will have six days to get ready for the biggest event of the Italian spring next Saturday, where a massive showdown on the iconic Cipressa, Poggio and Via Roma will take place, with fellow Tirreno racers Filippo Ganna and Wout van Aert also expected to feature.
"I think the victories here are mainly important for form. I don't think I have much left to do," Van der Poel told Sporza before stage 6 of Tirreno-Adriatico.
"I feel good and have had good preparation. I am satisfied with my legs and the feeling this week; that is all I needed. But whether the [Milan-San Remo] winner was riding here is still a question mark. It is often the same names that come to the fore: myself, Wout and Ganna."
Pogačar hasn't raced either of the WorldTour stage races this week after he dominated Strade Bianche on his season debut last weekend, but it's him that Van der Poel is, of course, asked about as cycling looks ahead to the first Monument of 2026.
He may be in flying form, but Van der Poel knows that the margins will again be slim when it comes to whether he can follow Pogačar's inevitable massive attack.
Pogačar has animated the race from the front on several occasions, with results of fifth, fourth, third and third since 2022, but has been unable to breakaway solo on the Poggio or Cipressa from the likes of Van der Poel, losing the sprint to win twice.
Van der Poel has been the constant thorn in his side, able to match even his most violent moves. He countered him on the Poggio to win solo in 2023, and had the power to follow on the Cipressa before winning a three-up sprint against Pogačar and Ganna last season, but the World Champion has only threatened more and more as the years have gone by.
"Last year he was already very close. If I'm 1% off, Tadej will be gone on the Cipressa. It's only a matter of time before he wins that race," said Van der Poel, who is expecting the iconic penultimate climb to be where UAE Team Emirates-XRG light up the action fully again.
"They once tried to make the race hard on the Tre Capi, but mainly burned themselves out doing so. So I don't believe in that. In the past, you shouldn't even start looking at the Cipressa. Tadej and UAE have certainly changed that."
While he did single out winning a record fourth Tour of Flanders as his preference for the coming weeks at the Classics, the serial winner that Van der Poel is will be looking for a third San Remo, fourth Ronde and fourth Paris-Roubaix title and no less.
He's been the only rider really capable of shutting down Pogačar on these biggest appointments, but can he repeat that in 2026? It's not long to wait now until the rivalry is revived for three more rounds.
