Mathieu van der Poel: He also drives to Lamborghini

He drives a Lamborghini and sometimes spits at obnoxious fans

When the Dutchman starts a race, he often finishes as a winner – like Sunday in Paris-Roubaix. The 29-year-old girl is amazing and attractive. Method.

Posted: April 7, 2024, 10:23 pm

Finished: Mathieu van der Poel celebrates after a 60km solo run at the Roubaix Vélodrome.

Photo: Christophe Ena (Keystone)

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At the end he shakes his head, then stretches his arms, looks at the sky and crosses the finish line. Mathieu van der Poel drove 60 kilometers in front alone and quickly increased the gap between himself and his competitors. And now he has also won Paris-Roubaix a week after the Tour of Flanders. The last person to achieve this double was Fabian Cancellara in 2013.

But the fact that Mathieu van der Poel won Paris-Roubaix for the second time in a row is not a coincidence. The race, which takes in a lot of tarmac and often mud and dirt, mixes everything up for the 29-year-old Dutchman.

Because Van der Poel doesn’t just win on the road like he did on Sunday at the Vélodrome in Roubaix. During the winter he dominates the cyclocross race (he is a six-time world champion). And it is also the world leader in mountain bikes.

It doesn’t matter in which discipline he starts the race, the chances of him winning are very high. But that’s just one of the many reasons why it’s so common.

Family history

Grandson and grandfather: Mathieu van der Poel (left) and Raymond Poulidor.

Image: Screenshot

If you look at Mathieu van der Poel’s face, you see a piece of cycling history. Eyes, cheekbones – it’s the same as his grandfather. Raymond Poulidor was one of the greatest cyclists of his time. In the 1960s he came second three times in the Tour de France and third five times. In history he will always be remembered as the “eternal second”, although he also won a lot.

So it is not surprising that when he was 11 years old, little Mathieu went to his father and said: “I want to be a cyclist.” At that time he was involved in various sports, played tennis, did athletics and went to a football club. “Okay,” he replied, “but tell your instructors that yourself.” Mathieu did it too. “The coaches were surprised. There aren’t many 11-year-olds who know exactly what they want,” father Adrie van der Poel told Cycling Weekly. By the way, Adrie was also the cyclocross world champion and won two classics on the road.

The team

After his son decided to take up cycling, father Van der Poel approached former specialist Christoph Roodhooft. In 2013, Mathieu signed his first professional contract with the Roodhooft cycling team at his kitchen table. This later became a road team and, together with Van der Poel, they went through all the steps up to the World Tour license. When he competes today in the Alpecin-Deceuninck jersey, the same people still take care of him as they used to take care of him in the past.

Maybe that is also the reason why his special method works. Finally, the driver must also be given the freedom to plan the season in three different disciplines. And in training, Van der Poel basically does what he enjoys. He also got fit on a mountain bike for the Tour de France.

Not Everyone is a Lover

Some call it freedom – others call it extra sausage. Because Mathieu van der Poel has no friends. He doesn’t fit according to the common words of reserved ascetic cyclists. He likes to go racing in his own Lamborghini.

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And there is also the episode in 2022 when he was taken by the police on the eve of the World Cup race in Wollongong, Australia. According to Van der Poel, two young men repeatedly knocked on the door of his hotel, where he complained loudly and became rude. Van der Poel admitted and paid the fine.

He was recently fined again for spitting in the face of a spectator on the final lap of a cross-country cycling race. He had been booed by the same group throughout the race.

Photo: Instagram Mathieu van der Poel

Beer was also thrown at him during the Tour of Flanders. The Belgians in particular do not like him at all. One of their stars, Wout van Aert, is already there Van der Poel’s main rival since his youth. He also rides his cross-country bike in the winter; In the end, however, they preferred Van der Poel.

Instinct

They usually find road racing boring at first. He often looks for a driver in the field with whom he can talk. About cars – or “Fortnite”. Van der Poel is also a passionate player.

But when it starts, he’s there. Van der Poel can read the race very well and feels the right time is to attack. Thanks to the experience he gained from three different professions, he has instincts he can rely on. He has explosiveness that allows him to leave the field. He has the power to tire his opponents and has difficulty seeing it through to the end.

Experience from thousands of kilometers of racing also helps him not to lose his head when things don’t go according to plan. Last August, the race for the world title was interrupted because of protesters. Drivers had to wait for almost an hour. It was not clear how long the break lasted. So Van der Poel went to a nearby house, rang the bell and asked if he could use the toilet quickly. Relieved, he returned to the saddle and a few hours later celebrated the world championship title after his solo escape. “Thank you very much” was the headline in a Scottish tabloid the next day.

Anna Baumgartner has been editing and writing sports stories since 2007 and works as a magazine editor and content manager. More details

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