Teammates tired of spitting and boos aimed at Van der Poel: "We know it gets to him"

Gianni Vermeersch has been a key lieutenant to Van der Poel for years. “I’ve been racing with Mathieu since we were juniors,” he told Het Nieuwsblad. “We’ve almost always been on the same teams. Since 2021, that has been Alpecin. In my view, Mathieu hasn’t changed a bit. He’s still smiling, always cracking jokes, creating a great atmosphere. On the team bus, he’s one of the mood-setters. His huge list of achievements hasn’t changed him — he’s still got both feet firmly on the ground. He doesn’t behave like a diva. He’s really one of the guys, and he feels like part of the group.”

Jonas Rickaert often sacrifices himself for his team leader, although he won’t be able to on Sunday — he won’t be racing the Tour of Flanders. “But it’s still incredibly special to ride for someone like Mathieu van der Poel. To have a world-class rider like that in your team — that’s what makes cycling really meaningful for me. Of course, as a little kid, you dream of winning a monument like the Tour of Flanders yourself. Or other big races.”

The three-time winner of Flanders’ Finest isn’t always greeted with loud cheers in the region. Sometimes there’s booing, but sometimes it's much worse than that: during the E3 Saxo Classic, the Alpecin-Deceuninck rider was spat on, and in cyclo-cross, he’s often the target of beer — or even urine — showers. “We never really talk about it,” says Vermeersch, “but I know it affects Mathieu.” He thinks that behavior is appalling.

“When we rode up to the podium before the start, there was a lot of booing,” the 32-year-old Fleming recalls. “I was ashamed of my own region where I grew up, when really I wanted to feel proud that the race had returned to Bruges. Mathieu said it was a shame the crowd reacted that way. A beautiful moment like the start ends up being overshadowed. I even took it personally — I couldn’t believe it was happening. I was deeply ashamed.”

The start will once again take place in Bruges this Sunday. As a co-record holder and honorary Flemish rider, his teammate hopes Van der Poel will get the applause he deserves this time. “I hope people behave themselves. The best thing would be to call those individuals out on their behavior, but it’s often herd mentality. What Mathieu has accomplished by now is even more impressive than before. I hope the crowd recognizes that and uses some common sense.”

By now, Van der Poel has gained plenty of experience dealing with 'fans'... but age hasn’t affected his performance — in fact, he’s only getting better. “Mathieu turned 30 this January,” Rickaert points out. “But he’s proving to be an absolute super talent. You can see it again this spring. Everything he touches seems like play — like it's nothing to him. But we all know from experience, it’s not. Mathieu has to work hard for it. Even more than before.”