Adrie van der Poel on Mathieu's physical and mental strength: "At that point, there wasn’t much I could do anymore"

Cycling families are abundant in the professional peloton. Some sons never reach their father's level—just look at Axel Merckx, for example. But others surpass their predecessor with ease. And while Adrie van der Poel was far from a nobody, his son Mathieu has certainly outshone him. The father speaks candidly about his relationship with his son, as well as Mathieu’s achievements and youth.

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Sometimes Mathieu does his own thing: "I really don’t like that at all"

Five years later, Van der Poel was the revelation of the spring season, and things were going great with the team too. He won the Amstel Gold Race, for example. It marked a rise in status for the team leader, who also gained access to more resources. A personal trainer was strict with him: a maximum of sixty training days and no Tour de France before age 25. Adrie saw that as excellent advice. “I always said: make sure you have one day a week where you don’t touch the bike at all. That already gives you 52 rest days a year.”

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Sponsors love Mathieu: "Why wouldn't he do it?"

Still, Van der Poel senior often holds back. “I know I shouldn’t say it ten times, because then he’ll just want to do it more. But I haven’t heard him mention it lately—I don’t think he even has any motorbikes anymore. He’s found a new passion: golf. He’s completely into it now, and I’m like: wow, I’m surprised you actually enjoy that.” After his win at the E3 Saxo Classic last week, Van der Poel was even gifted special golf balls by the organizers, as an extra prize for having won the previous edition.

Sponsors are also very keen on Mathieu’s status. Luxury watch brand Richard Mille and car manufacturer Lamborghini, among others, have partnered with him. “I think it’s fantastic—on someone else,” Adrie laughs. “But hey, if companies want to associate with Matje, why wouldn’t he go for it? He’s also just really careful with his stuff. I rarely see him in a dirty car, and his house is always super clean.”

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"I actually wasn’t that good"

Adrie had to do a lot on his own during his cycling career, but it’s a completely different story for his son. As a father, he’s there for Mathieu day and night. A lot is taken care of for him. “That’s where I’ve maybe gone too far as a dad. When the boys came home from a cold and rainy training ride, I’d clean their bikes and helmets. My wife would wash their clothes right away, and an hour later, everything was spotless again. That’s still how it is. If Mathieu races a cyclocross nearby in the winter, I’ll say: come shower at our place, and by the time you leave, your bike will be cleaned.”

Van der Poel will go for his eighth Monument win next week at the Tour of Flanders. His son’s achievements lead to some healthy self-reflection. “Then I think: well, I actually wasn’t that good,” he laughs again. “What he’s winning is on a whole different level. And it’s also the way he does it. I had to rely on my cleverness—solo rides of 80 kilometers weren’t really possible for me. Tactically, everything had to fall into place.”

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