"For me, it's the greatest victory of his career" – David describes career highlight for Mathieu van der Poel

David van der Poel always knew his younger brother was different. It didn’t take long to see it, especially on a bike.

“As long as I can remember, he could do things technically on the bike that I never could,” David said in an appearance on De Avondetappe. “That realization came quickly.”

Mathieu van der Poel wore the yellow jersey yesterday as the Tour passed over the Mur de Bretagne. He didn’t win this time, but just riding the iconic climb in yellow brought back memories. In 2021, he won there, and pulled on the yellow jersey in tribute to their grandfather, Raymond Poulidor.

“For me, it's the greatest victory of his career, especially because of the emotional connection with our grandfather,” David said. “I prefer to watch it at home, at my leisure. Not that I'll watch it again, but it'll come up again, of course. It'll definitely be high on his list of greatest victories, but a race with a jersey attached will be even higher. Along with his World Championship title, it's his greatest victory, I think."

He reflected on their childhood rivalry during a previous appearance on Vive Le Vélo. “That competition regularly led to 'fights,’” he laughed. “We're both competitive, but Mathieu is a bit more extreme than me. He's always been a bit of a loser. He loves cycling, board games, and other sports.”

David never resented being in the shadow of his younger brother. “I also won cyclocross races as a junior, so I didn't mind. That was my main focus, and I especially enjoyed it when he won in his category.”

And when it comes to the rivalry that defined a generation, he sees it clearly: “Wout definitely made him better, and vice versa. They pushed each other to a higher level all winter long. If one achieved something, the other had to do the same.”