Everyone is talking about Mathieu van der Poel, and Julian Alaphilippe is the latest to praise the young Dutchman, describing him as `a phenomenon`. Alaphilippe has been the outstanding rider this season with eight victories, including Milan-San Remo, but Van der Poel, the 24-year-old cyclo-cross world champion, has stormed onto the road in his first spring classics campaign, with victory at Dwars door Vlaanderen and fourth place at the Tour of Flanders and Gent-Wevelgem. The pair went head-to-head at Brabantse Pijl on Wednesday, where Van der Poel left the more experienced Alaphilippe to win the sprint from the select four-man group. They will lock horns again at Amstel Gold Race on Sunday. ADVERTISEMENT `I was happy for him,` Alaphilippe said ahead of the Dutch Classic. `I do not know him personally, we have not ridden against one another much, but I have followed him a bit because I like cyclo-cross. It`s a pleasure to see him doing well in `cross and now doing it as well on the road. What he`s doing is a good thing for cycling.` Ahead of the spring, Van der Poel`s director at the Corendon-Circus team said the Classics would be a `playground` for Van der Poel, and indeed he has not been shy to attack and open the race from distance, despite his inexperience. At Brabantse Pijl he but in a couple of big attacks way out, and still had the strength to make the final selection and then win the sprint from it. `I love his way of racing. He is a phenomenon. More than a `crosser, he`s someone who can do everything well. I`m happy he`s now also on the road,` Alaphilippe said.
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