Raymond Poulidor's grandson is in yellow.
Himself wearing the precious tunic for a day in 1984, the Dutchman's father dreamed of it but dared not imagine it.
Present at the finish line with his wife, Corinne, the daughter of "Poupou", Adrie van der Poel tells us about the special relationship Mathieu had with his grandfather.
Did you imagine that your son, Raymond Poulidor's grandson, wears the yellow jersey?
ADRIE VAN DER POEL.
It's so special, it stirs up so many things.
Taking the jersey is the best tribute Mathieu could pay to his grandpa.
We didn't dare think about it before, so as not to bring bad luck, but it was in the back of our minds.
Mathieu is capable of doing extraordinary things.
He is the only runner in the world to be this strong on the road, cyclo-cross or mountain bike.
He is incredible.
Do you think Raymond Poulidor would be proud of him?
Of course.
Grandpa was still proud of himself, all the time.
He said that the phenomenon of the family was Mathieu.
I know my son has something special, but I never talk about him like that.
I am very proud of him, but it was only his grandpa who could qualify him as a "phenomenon".
Did he make a promise to his grandfather about that yellow jersey he never wore?
No, he didn't have an obsessive relationship with the yellow jersey.
At the start, Mathieu first wanted to win a stage.
But his great regret is that his grandpa is no longer there to see it.
He misses him a lot.
Read also Tour de France: stage victory and yellow jersey for Mathieu van der Poel, Poulidor's grandson
What was Mathieu's relationship with his grandfather?
Very intense, very very intense.
Grandpa lived far from home.
We didn't see him often, maybe twice a year.
But when we saw each other, it was very strong.
Mathieu adored his grandfather and it was mutual.
It was with his grandfather that he discovered the Tour?
Absolutely.
And in 2014, he came to the village for the first time to meet his grandpa and see how huge his popularity was.
The importance his grandpa had, even if he suspected it, had impressed Mathieu.
Can he win the Tour de France?
Maybe yes, if he wants to.
When he was a junior, it was already said of him that he was a rider who could win the Tour de France.
Only Mathieu has chosen to distinguish himself in several disciplines such as cyclo-cross and mountain biking, which does not make things easier.
But if at one point he says to himself, "I want to win the Tour and I will do everything to get there", he is capable of it.
It is said of him that he is not a pure climber?
It is sharp, but maybe a bit heavy.
But you know, if Mathieu finds himself at the top of a pass with about 20 other runners, he is capable of winning too.
If he wants something, he's so strong he can do it.
Will he go at the end of the Tour or will he stop to better prepare for the Games?
Mathieu is not someone who gives up, never.
He says he wants to go to the end, so we'll see.
He knows better than anyone that the Tour is important, but he has also been thinking about the Olympics for more than four years and wanting to win the gold medal in mountain biking.
For him, it is also essential.
His team will manage all of this on a day-to-day basis, I trust him.
Isn't it surprising that he only discovered the Tour at the age of 26?
At the same age as her grandfather, which is a nice symbol, right?
Me, I think that we should not come too young on this race.
It must also be said that Mathieu did not have too many opportunities to come earlier, since his team, to which he wants to remain faithful, is not a WorldTour team.
For Mathieu to compete in the Tour, therefore, his team must be selected, which is not the case every year.
Read also Who is the phenomenon Mathieu van der Poel?
Do you remember the day you put on the yellow jersey in 1984?
Yes, and that's not a good memory!
I am surely the only runner in history who received the yellow jersey without ever getting on the official podium.
I never officially received it.
At the time, the jury was wrong and forgot to count my bonuses.
He had given the jersey to another runner
(Editor's note: the Belgian Ferdi Van Den Haute)
.
They realized their mistake and, when we were at the table in the evening with the team, a gentleman came with papers and five yellow shirts, telling me that they were for me.
The next day, I was still happy to wear this jersey, even if it only lasted a day.
I hope Mathieu will wear it longer than me.
What relationship does Mathieu have with the Tour de France?
We must already repeat that, despite everything that has been said, the Tour is a very great discovery for him.
It is the first time that he participates in it and we already forget it.
He has a lot to learn from this race.
Do you give him advice?
I think he's doing pretty well without me giving it to him, right
(laughs)
?
The Tour is such a special race that it takes a bit of time to learn everything around it.
But Mathieu has always been used to all this and he manages it well, I think.
Little, was he "fed" at the Tour de France?
I'll admit that no, not particularly.
In any case, not more than in another family.
Of course, we went to see the Tour four or five times when it was younger, but we didn't talk about it every moment at home.
