DUTCH CHAMP MULTIFACETED GENIUS
The super talented Mathieu van der Poel will be making his much-anticipated Tour de France debut this summer . The Dutch National Road Champion and Cyclocross World Champion will be targeting stage victories and is a likely contender for a week-one yellow jersey . BY QUENTIN FINNÉ
“ athieu , he ’ s my
M phenomenon !” So said the late French cycling legend Raymond Poulidor of his grandson , one of the modern peloton ’ s great talents . Now Mathieu van der Poel is finally set to make his debut at the Tour de France , the race in which his grandfather forged his extraordinary “ Poupoularité ”. As a fourtime world cyclocross champion , a former European mountain bike champion , a Dutch national road champion and the winner of several major Classics ( Tour of Flanders , Amstel Gold Race , Strade Bianche ), it ’ s fair to say that the 26-year-old Alpecin- Fenix rider is indeed a phenomenon across the cycling disciplines .
The first week of the Tour should give him plenty of opportunities to shine as he draws on his multifaceted abilities . From the Côte de la Fosse aux Loups , where the first stage finishes in Landerneau , via the testing uphill finale at Mûrde-Bretagne , to the long and very hilly stage to Le Creusot , Van der Poel will look to exploit terrain that suits his explosive qualities . He can even dream of the yellow jersey , the fabled
Mathieu van der Poel should light up the first few stages of the Tour with his explosive style .
OUR TEAM ’ S MAIN OBJECTIVE AT THE TOUR WILL BE TO WIN A STAGE ” garment that his grandfather never quite managed to grasp – despite eight podiums in 14 appearances . “ The Tour is obviously a very special race for any rider who lines up in it , but my relationship with it is certainly a little more special because of my grandfather ’ s place in its history . He made it even more unique for me ,’” says the reigning world cyclocross champion . “ Our team ’ s main objective at the Tour will be to win a stage , but it ’ s true that the race ’ s first week could provide me with the chance to race with that mythical jersey on my shoulders .”
This ambition will provide a focus for all of the riders on an Alpecin-Fenix team that is also making its first Tour appearance . Indeed , the Belgian outfit will be counting on their leader providing them with some insight into the race . “ I ’ ve already been to the Tour on several occasions , when I was a child on holiday with my grandparents in France ,” Van der Poel continues . “ Once my career started , my visits became less frequent because of my schedule , but I always enjoyed coming here to say hello to my granddad .”
When the race gets under way in Brittany , the eyes of the rider dubbed MVDP are likely to linger on the yellow stand in the start village where his grandfather could always be found signing autographs . Unless , that is , he ends up looking to the sky , from the top step of a stage podium ... ●
PHOTOGRAPHS : BERNARD PAPON / L ’ ÉQUIPE
18 | TOUR DE FRANCE 2021