Media

Success felt good

 

Cycling was not Madis’s first sporting date. “I swam, did athletics, judo – I tried almost everything,” he recalls. But in 2011, when he rolled into his first bike session, he felt something powerful. “I’ve always loved competing. In other sports I rarely made the podium, but in cycling I started winning almost right away. I just liked the taste of success.”

 

His earliest vivid memories revolve around the children’s races of the Estonian Cup. Looking back, he regrets nothing about those first years. “I made the right choices early on, the goal was always clear, and I was a motivated kid.”

 

Madis doesn’t hide the fact that he considers himself gifted. “I know that without talent it’s impossible to reach the top. Someone can grind all day, but it still might not be enough. Luckily, something was given to me.” Straight afterwards he adds the necessary caveat: talent alone won’t do it. “To get to the top you need a lot of work as well. Take Tadej Pogačar – both talent and work are running at a hundred percent.”

 

Besides winning, he enjoys the lifestyle: “I like not having to stay in one place, travelling all year. These days I get to do it so much that by season’s end I’m almost tired of it.”

 

Leuven – the turning point

 

The junior world‑championship bronze in Leuven, Belgium (2021) changed everything. “That medal gave me my first WorldTour contract. The papers were signed practically right after the finish – the deal started in 2023, but my future was settled.”

 

The following season, 2022, was not entirely smooth. “I didn’t start that well, but the finish was strong.” A stage win at the Tour of Estonia (his first pro victory), fourth at the U23 European Champs and a fistful of podiums showed a new level. Late in the year he added three victories as a stagiaire with WorldTour squad Intermarché.

 

In February in Portugal, part 1. Photo: Gerda Tomson

 

Fast‑forward to today

 

In 2023 came multiple top‑tens and, as a cherry on the cake, a stage win at the Deutschland Tour. Last year he finished a brilliant tenth at Paris–Roubaix, claimed four Giro top‑tens and an impressive European‑championship bronze, plus more top‑tens, including Paris–Nice. Another clear step.

 

Roubaix 2024 raised his stock, but the late‑season European-championship podium did not change much: “It’s so late in the year. If I’d been out of contract it would have helped, but the best deals are made in the first half of the season. Fortunately my future was secure by May.”

 

For 2025 Mihkels swapped Intermarché’s colours for EF Education–EasyPost pink‑purple. “The big difference is equipment. We have more resources and can do every aero test you can imagine,” he says. “This year we lengthened and lowered my position. For a moment I thought of switching back, but after about a month I was happy on the bike.”

 

By the way, he now has a new address: Rein Taaramäe’s old apartment in Monaco.

 

All is well in the new team. Photo: Gerda Tomson

 

Two‑way satisfaction

 

Both rider and team are happy. “At Gent–Wevelgem I missed a podium with a bad decision, and at Milan–San Remo everything was fine until the crash. Those are isolated days; overall things are good.”

 

Did the move bring more individual chances? “Definitely. I haven’t done many sprint races yet, but when I have, the team has backed me just like we agreed.”

 

He can’t pick a single best mate in the squad, but the classics group – together since February – gets on really well.

 

Paris–Roubaix and those “legs of my life”

 

Spring 2025. Before the Tour of Flanders he was over‑cooked: “At Dwars door Vlaanderen I couldn’t move. I skipped Flanders, rested, and trusted I’d be good at Roubaix. Super‑compensation worked.” All in all he feels an improvement: “I’m more consistently in the game. If the finish is a sprint, I basically know I’m racing for the front places.”

 

Roubaix is still his favourite: “The race fits my build and abilities. Long, hard, no big climbs – pure power and endurance. I can handle cobbles. You just need a good day and a bit of luck.”

 

His stamina has improved fast: “Last year I cramped in the last 20 km; this season not once. I still have the punch to follow moves right to the line.”

 

A striking team bus and Madis. Photo: Gerda Tomson

 

A four‑step training block

 

At season start he never sets yearly kilometre or hour targets – so much for the idea of an Excel manifesto. Interviewed in late April, his schedule was mostly aerobic with a few harder days. “After Roubaix I took a break; now I’m building the base with sprints and gym work. Sometime in May it gets more intense again.”

 

The core pattern is three‑ or four‑day blocks:

 

• RPE day – harder session based on how he feels
• VO₂‑max day – high‑intensity intervals
• Sprint + gym day – pure explosiveness
• Long endurance – steady volume

 

Training volume compared with past seasons? “A few percent higher; roughly ten percent more kilometres and hours than 2023.” He watches volume more than intensity, because TSS is trickier to compare year to year. By the way, on‑bike he is numbers‑driven; off‑bike he acts on heart and instinct.

 

Rice with jam and 9,000 calories

 

Nutrition is guided by feel – except on race week. “On Roubaix day I ate about 9,000 kcal; San Remo was similar. The day before is roughly half.” In normal weeks he eats by appetite, but pre‑race he cuts fat and protein and loads carbs.

 

His pre‑ride favourite: white rice with jam. Strawberry or blueberry – no big difference.

 

Pressure from inside

 

'Rising media interest doesn’t stress him. “If I feel pressure it’s from goals I set myself.” In spring he targeted one WorldTour podium – achieved at Classic Brugge–De Panne (3rd). External expectations motivate him less than the plain urge to work.

 

How to stay grounded? “For me nothing much has changed. My friends and family would say the same.”

 

In February in Portugal, part 2. Photo: Gerda Tomson

 

“I know what to do myself”

 

Asked to size up Pogačar, Van der Poel or Van Aert, there’s no awe. “The gap has shrunk. At Roubaix I felt I had the legs to race Van Aert’s group. Maybe one step still to go, but because of injuries he isn’t what he was a few years ago – the level is close.”

 

He doesn’t chase idols: “I know myself what to do. Sometimes those guys are sloppy with positioning because they have the power to fix their ‘mistake’ by brute force.”

 

Honest with himself

 

Looking ahead he combines bold dreams and common sense. By 2040? “I hope I’ve won at least one Monument and maybe a Tour de France stage.” Shorter‑term: “They hired me to bring results. The team and I want a win this year.”

 

When would he say, “I did everything I could”? “When I’m honest with myself and nothing was left undone.” That principle runs through every training ride, every sprint, every bowl of rice and jam. Only then is the final traffic light green, whatever the finish‑line result.

 

You won’t see him at the Tour of Estonia this year, so follow the streams and keep your fingers crossed. At the end of May he lines up at Boucles de la Mayenne – Crédit Mutuel, then either the Dauphiné or Tour de Suisse.

 

His Grand Tour – Tour de France or Vuelta – isn’t confirmed yet, but the aim is clear: “I set high expectations so there’s something to chase. I’ll go to a Grand Tour planning to win a stage, not to be fifth or sixth.”

***

Fish and flying discs

 

He hasn’t found time this year (yet), but Madis loves fishing – he recommends the impounded lake near Luunja: “It’s just fun, and hooking something big feels great.” Disc golf is his other escape. No official rating, just friendly rounds with mates. These hobbies keep his head clear whenever the race calendar spins too fast.