Mathieu VAN DER POEL
Biographie
Born on January 19, 1995, in Kapellen, Belgium, Mathieu van der Poel was destined for a career in the saddle, given his prestigious cycling lineage. His father, Adri van der Poel, was a professional cyclist and a multiple Dutch national champion. His grandfather, the renowned French cyclist Raymond Poulidor, had an illustrious career, including winning the 1964 Vuelta a España and achieving runner-up and third-place finishes multiple times in the Tour de France.
Mathieu van der Poel: From the pitch to the saddle
Van der Poel initially started his sports career in football and was even on track to join the first-division Dutch club Willem II. However, he decided to follow in his father's footsteps and pursue cyclo-cross instead.
The young Van der Poel made an early mark in the sport with a host of victories at the junior level. He won junior Dutch, European, and world titles, signalling his impending dominance in the sport.
In 2014, he signed his first professional contract with BKCP-Powerplus, which later became Corendon-Circus. He didn't take long to make an impact, becoming the youngest cyclo-cross world champion at the age of 20 in his debut season in 2015. The rising cycling star then suffered a blow, injuring his knee during a fall, which restricted his participation in the following season.
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