“A long training ride, a stop for coffee…” – How will Mathieu van der Poel celebrate his 31st birthday?
Cycling
Mathieu van der Poel spent Sunday blowing apart the World Cup in Benidorm. On Monday, he turned 31. And instead of talking about celebrations, champagne, or rest, the world champion had something much simpler in mind.
“Normally with a long training ride, but that is something I really like doing. On the way we stop for a coffee. That is always nice,” he said in conversation with Wielerflits when asked how he would mark his birthday.
It was a quietly human answer, coming less than 24 hours after he had turned the World Cup in Benidorm into a solo exhibition. The race had been decided almost as soon as it began, when he accelerated on the rising finish straight after the opening lap and rode away from everyone else.
“That was a bit unexpected. I also didn’t expect beforehand that it would go like that,” he said. “But after one lap together with Tibor I got a nice gap on the start finish. Then I wanted to make the race hard, because otherwise you can spend an hour fighting for position. I immediately got a nice gap and then I knew that at some point they would start looking at each other.”
From there, Benidorm became less a contest and more a controlled solo effort. He rode steady, consistent laps, stretching his advantage to well over half a minute before halfway, and finishing alone, relaxed enough to cross the line on one wheel.
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Building towards something bigger
Benidorm was not just about winning another race. It was part of a bigger plan aimed at peaking later. “I am very happy. I think I have taken a step,” he said. “After two training weeks I did feel a bit tired, but I was still able to ride a good race, so I am happy about that.”
That feeling of tiredness, combined with growing strength, is exactly what he wants at this point. “I have the feeling that that has worked. Despite the fatigue, I felt that there was a bit more power there today. I am happy about that.”
It was also why Benidorm had appeared in his programme at the last minute, more as a hard training day than as a must-win target. The race ended up confirming what he had hoped to feel: not fresh, but strong.
Even his celebration matched that mood. “Not really. That was a bit of a moment of inspiration,” he said about the wheelie at the finish. “An uphill section is ideal for that. It is just a little easier to do there.”
There are still open questions about what comes next on the road. “That is in the back of my mind, but I have not decided anything about that myself yet,” he said when asked about a possible early start to his road season.
For now, though, the focus is simple. After dominating Benidorm and confirming that his form is moving in the right direction, his birthday plan is not about parties or rest days.
It is about riding his bike for a long time, stopping for a coffee, and enjoying exactly the kind of day that brought him to this point in the first place.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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- A great route aswell. Col D'Arcy is a toughie
Rafionain-Glas03-11-2026 - Let Torito have a shot at itRafionain-Glas03-11-2026
- A great route, much more exciting than the Tour de France. Monte Livata is an interesting one, because they experimented with it at the 2026 Baby Giro, and it was fantastic. 4 km at 10%, then 10 km at 6.5% made for a great spectacle. The stage 16 is horribleRafionain-Glas03-11-2026
- I remember when Mark went through that. He was really experiencing lows and thought about quiting many times. It took him a long time to recover. I, like many others were overjoyed when he came back. I hope Lafay has been tested. I wish him the best.Paggss03-11-2026
- That sucks for him. I've always wondered what guys like him do after retiring from cycling - go back to uni? He's still a very young manCrashjames03-11-2026
- Good Point, I wonder if he's been testedmhfrvz03-11-2026
- A busy boy!Lozza03-11-2026
- I hope 2027 is his year.mij03-11-2026
- why does he have to? many GT riders from Froome to Contador to Indurain didn't do them.mij03-11-2026
- I think Jonas would have lost the TDF by 4+ minutes (at the least) and might not have even been in the top 3. Too much talent in the younger riders to say anyone not named Pogačar would have been top 3md197503-11-2026
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