“A long training ride, a stop for coffee…” – How will Mathieu van der Poel celebrate his 31st birthday?

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.

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.