Mathieu van der Poel exclusive on switching between cycling disciplines: “It used to be easier”

Balancing road racing, mountain biking and cyclocross can prove challenging even for a multi-discipline phenom like Mathieu van der Poel.

The Alpecin-Deceuninck rider, who's aiming to defend his world titles in road and cyclo-cross, will kick off his new campaign on Saturday 16 December at the X2O Trofee Herentals, Belgium, shifting his initial plans by one week.

Speaking with Olympics.com last October in Madrid, van der Poel admitted that juggling different disciplines has become more complicated.

“It used to be easier when I did it more often,” the 28-year-old shared.

“But now I just feel it's becoming more difficult, because I have focused on the road for many years now. But we don't always have to take the easiest way, of course. So, it's still a big challenge.”

“But I enjoy being able to switch disciplines and not doing the same thing all year round.”

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Mathieu van der Poel on the rainbow jersey: “I enjoyed all the moments”

2023 was arguably the best season of van der Poel’s career.

He began the campaign by securing his fifth cyclocross world title, then he continued his winning streak into the spring, conquering the monuments Milano-Sanremo and Paris-Roubaix.

However, his season reached a new climax last August in Glasgow when he became road world champion for the first time in his career, earning the right to don the iconic rainbow jersey.

“I’ve enjoyed all the moments in the jersey,” van der Poel said. “It was one of the big goals of my career, so I try to enjoy it as much as possible. It's only one year, so I try to enjoy it every day. To be honest, it's only been beneficial until now.”

“I didn't reach my best level after the world, but I still managed to win a race, so I’m quite happy with it. For sure, I enjoyed the period after winning Worlds. you get the jersey and that's the most special one.”

He added that the start of his 2024 will mirror this season, with a focus on the spring classics. However, his strategy for the summer, including the Tour de France and the Olympic Games, is still undecided.

Mathieu van der Poel on his late grandfather Raymond Poulidor: “He would be proud”

When the 2024 Tour de France route was unveiled, it included a stage dedicated to someone special for van der Poel.

On stage 14, the race will conclude at the exact same location where his late grandfather, Raymond Poulidor, celebrated a victory atop the Pla d’Adet in 1974, marking the 50-year anniversary of “Pou-Pou”’s win.

The Tour de France organisers also paid tribute to Poulidor at this year’s race, with a stage departing from Saint-Léonard-de-Noblat, the village where Poulidor spent most of his life until his passing in 2019.

“I think it was super beautiful, what they did this year, where he used to live. It was a really nice gesture, they did there, and it was quite an emotional day for me as well. I'm happy I was there,” van der Poel explained, and added what his grandfather would say if he was still here.

“He would be proud. He was always proud anyway. It's nice that I could win Sanremo as well, a race that he has won. So, it's quite a history,” the road race world champion concluded.

Poulidor won the Milano-Sanremo in 1961. Sixty-two years later Van der Poel emulated his late grandfather with a stunning solo victory on via Roma at the Italian Riviera.