A young Mathieu van der Poel could've been a Quick-Step rider, but Patrick Lefevere did not take the opportunity - "He has regretted it"

Mathieu van der Poel is more than just a generational talent, he is an historic figure in the sport of cycling alone. At age 31 he is now the male rider with the most cyclocross world titles and can still achieve more; whilst also being an absolute headliner everywhere he goes on the road, with multiple monument and Tour de France victories in his palmarès. This has been the fruit of his work with Alpecin - Premier Tech, but as we know now, Soudal - Quick-Step could've been the team profiting from an investment at a young age.

“Every morning he left with the wheelbarrow. They (Mathieu and his brother David van der Poel, ed.) took a few shovels, rakes, a bag of cement, ropes, I do not know..." their father Adrie said in an interview with Sporza. The Dutchman's talent for cycling was very obvious since a very young age, having also ridden up the mythical Alpe d'Huez at the age of 10.

Adrie van der Poel was himself a top figure in the sport - a two-time monument and two-time Tour de France stage winner; as well as a former cyclocross world champion, alongside many other triumphs in the discipline. Cycling ran in the family and the genetics passed along to his children, both of which became pro cyclists. But Mathieu had something more in him which became clear from his youth years.

Adrie van der Poel talked to Patrick Lefevere, and tried to build a connection to help Mathieu one day jump into Quick-Step, the team that for decades ruled over the cobbled classics. “I only told one man, I have a little talent. And he did not go for it. From the moment I told him until now, he has regretted it. I offered it on a silver platter.”

However his talent did not go unrecognized, and eventually what was to become later on the Alpecin project came to life with van der Poel as one of the headliners. “Christoph (Roodhooft, Alpecin-Premier Tech manager, ed.) bit right away". A perfect relationship that has worked for a decade now, and sees no urge for change. "We have had equipment from Christoph for ten years, so it is not proper to go to another team.”

Whilst Alpecin, with van der Poel and Jasper Philipsen, are one of the two teams who has been winning several monuments per season in recent years; Soudal - Quick-Step was left absent from the cobbled classics now for several seasons and was only in contention for monuments with Remco Evenepoel, who has now departed for Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe.