Mathieu van der Poel has signed what, in the cycling world, is considered a gigantic deal with Canyon, the bike brand he has been riding for a long time and which is also a sponsor of his team, Alpecin-Deceuninck. The Dutch cyclist has committed his future for the next ten (!) years to the Koblenz-based bike brand, marking the longest known contract in contemporary cycling. He has also extended his contract with Alpecin-Deceuninck until 2028.
In between Milan-San Remo and the E3 Saxo Classic, Van der Poel visited Canyon's headquarters in Koblenz on Monday, where he sealed the deal. For the next (at least) five years, he will be a rider, and thereafter, an ambassador, a role similar to that currently held by Tom Dumoulin with the Asian brand Giant. "With this historic contract, Canyon is expanding its partnership with Mathieu van der Poel in what is a groundbreaking long-term deal for modern cycling, securing Mathieu's position as one of the leading riders for the coming years," the bike brand stated in a press release.
Van der Poel has achieved 163 victories on his Canyon across three disciplines - road cycling, cyclo-cross and mountain biking. He is currently the reigning world champion both in road cycling and in cyclo-cross. "Canyon has been a fantastic partner. Together, we have developed bikes that have helped me succeed in classics, world championships and Grand Tours, but I am still incredibly driven and seeking success. There are various goals on my radar, including the Paris Olympics this summer," Van der Poel commented.
"In road cycling, cyclo-cross and mountain biking, Canyon's R&D teams are committed to creating bikes that can win races, and I am proud to drive these innovations. We share the same winning mentality, and this new contract aligns our ambitions for the next phase of my career," the Dutchman continued in Canyon's press release.
Van der Poel will also remain with Alpecin-Deceuninck until at least 2028, after which he will have the annual option to continue or stop cycling. By that time, he will have spent a remarkable 18 years under the guidance of the Roodhooft brothers. "This extension is a logical choice for me, as I have felt very comfortable with Philip and Roodhooft from the beginning. I have grown alongside the team, and we are still making progress."
"We have already achieved a lot of success together, but I am still hungry for more," he continues. "Moreover, the team spans multiple disciplines, making it perfect for me to continue combining them." The Roodhooft brothers fully agree. "We have had a long-term plan with him from the beginning, which fits well with the multiple-disciplines approach. Over the years, it has become clear that our vision is effective, so we want to continue this approach," the brothers state. "Like Mathieu, we are still hungry for success, in which he plays a very important role, along with all the other talents we have in our men's and women's teams."
Alpecin-Deceuninck has also extended its partnership with Canyon. "Since we signed with Canyon, we've had a long-term vision to create the very first multidisciplinary team, built with the best and most talented riders of their generation. This is only achievable with the support of partners who build high-performance, world-class products and share that same hunger for victory. Our new contract with Canyon is a significant milestone in the future development of all the talented riders joining Alpecin-Deceuninck and Fenix-Deceuninck," says team boss Philipp Roodhooft.
Canyon CEO Nicolas De Ros Wallace is also delighted. "At the heart of our collaboration is a collective desire to continuously push boundaries and enhance performance. Mathieu's personal quest for peak performance is a true inspiration for our engineers and product developers," says the head of the German bike brand.