Mathieu who?
With a Dutch father (Adrie, former professional) and a French mother (Corinne, Raymon Poulidor's daughter), Mathieu van der Poel immediately had two playgrounds favorable to cycling. But it was in Belgium that he grew up and that he initially made a name for himself in the field of cyclo-cross, before breaking through on road and mountain biking, a discipline in which he will compete at the next Olympic Games in Tokyo. (July 23-August 8). "
When I was eighteen, I was noticed by the Belgian team (of the manager of Alpecin-Fenix) Philip Roodhooft
", recently told AFP David, the older brother of Mathieu (29 years against 26 for the youngest). “
They offered to ride for them as a hope. Mathieu mejoined two years later in the same way
".
His notoriety in the Netherlands exploded by his own admission after his first major road victory, in the Amstel Gold Race in 2019.
Tireless attacker
Slower than the sprint specialists, Mathieu van der Poel often builds his victories from afar, attacking a good distance from the finish line. Sunday, he surprised by launching a first offensive from the first ascent of Mûr-de-Bretagne. This gave him the opportunity to wear the Yellow Jersey (like his era Adrie, one day in 1984), the tunic that his famous grandfather, Raymond Poulidor (who died in 2019) had never worn. Full of panache, the strategy can sometimes be risky: cited among the favorites of the 2019 World Championships in Yorkshire, VDP places banderillas in the final. As the finish approached, the Dutchman brutally paid for his efforts and finished nearly eleven minutes behind Dane Mads Pedersen. "
It seems very weird to me that no one
anticipate ”. But "
sometimes I attack too early,
”conceded van der Poel in an interview with Vélo Magazine dated March 2020.
Tempted by Paris-Roubaix
A classic runner, Raymond Poulidor's grandson is particularly seduced by the 'Hell of the North', another race in which his grandfather distinguished himself.
“Paris-Roubaix is one of the most beautiful races of the year, I rarely missed its broadcast on TV.
So far, VDP has never competed for the 'monument'.
If he proved Sunday that the novelty did not frighten him at all, he will find it difficult to catch up with “
Poupou
”, who has lined up 18 times with Paris-Roubaix.
The 2021 yellow jersey grandfather has finished six times in the top ten.
