"He hits a spot that remains untouched by the majority of riders" - Oliver Naesen points out what makes Mathieu van der Poel better than most
Cycling
Mathieu van der Poel fell to his knees and then his back as he left every ounce of effort for glory on the final stage of the 2026 Tour de France. Sprinting Tadej Pogacar off his wheel and outlasting the surging sprinters behind, van der Poel pulled off one of his most memorable wins on the biggest stage on Sunday.
Renowned for his remarkable performances of endurance that sees him push the barrier of what his body can withstand, van der Poel has taken similar all-out, emptying the gas tank, victories at Tirreno Adriatico, Amstel Gold Race, the Tour de France and the World Championships.
As well as his ability to rollwith the world's best on punchy, hilly and cobbled terrain, van der Poel's true weapon appears to be his ability to suffer just that bit more than his competitors, with the Paris finale being the best example.
He and Pogacar had grown a small gap over the top of the final Montmartre ascent. However, with ten kilometers remaining and a raging reduced peloton of sprinters in chase, the pair went all-in to try and hold them off.
Turning onto the Champs-Élysées slight uphill drag, van der Poel seemed to blow up the yellow jersey and hold off the sprinters in a photo finish.
Mathieu van der Poel wins on Champs-Élysées
Naesen on what makes van der Poel different
"I wouldn't know what that is," said current Decathlon CMA CGM rider Oliver Naesen in the HLN Cycling Podcast, describing the Dutchman's ability to push the pain threshold.
"It is one of Mathieu van der Poel's great qualities. He can just dig so much deeper than the rest of the riders. I’ve talked about it often with our trainers, because I would love to be able to do that too. He hits a spot that remains untouched by the majority of riders. That you really have to lie down like that after the finish."
"I've seen Van der Poel do this on the Mûr-de-Bretagne and the Amstel Gold Race he won, but this was on another level. It was incredible."
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Former teammate Vermeersch echoes Naesen
His former teammate Gianni Vermeersch echoed Naesen's words on Vive Le Vélo, noting that he had never witnessed anyone leave as much out there as the former world champion does.
"Mathieu has proven that he can also ride a final lap in cyclocross that no one else can. I remember a scene at the Namur Cyclocross, where he lay sprawled on the ground for minutes.
"You sometimes saw that kind of thing from Mathieu in training as well. He can push himself so hard and inflict so much pain on himself in training and in races; I personally haven't seen that in anyone else."
Gavin QuinnCycling Journalist
Gavin Quinn is a cycling journalist and ultra-distance cyclist with a BA in Journalism from Dublin City University. Formerly the Press & Communications Officer for Cycling Ireland, Gavin has worked inside the national team at the World Championships and has reported for the Irish Mirror, Mirror UK, and The42.
His expertise is backed by elite-level access, having interviewed stars like Sam Bennett and Ben Healy, as well as immense personal endurance. In 2025, he completed a 12,000km solo cycle from Ireland to Vietnam, following a 4,600km tour across Europe. From the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix to the gradients of the Tourmalet, Gavin’s writing focuses on the "romance and brutality" of the sport. Having visited 50+ countries, he brings a global, cultural perspective to his coverage of the pro peloton for CyclingUpToDate.
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- Hmmm, you seem to have a very convenient black and white view of things. Perhaps you haven’t been around much to discover how complex problems can become over time with people who know how to control, manipulate (or worse) others so gradually or subtly that you arrive at an irresolvable situation before you realise. This is how many inconveniences get introduced to the young, naïve, passionate or “desperate”, knowing they are not armed, protected or strong enough to defend themselves once it’s too late. Why do you think omerta culture is so widespread, why do you think so many people continue to go through so many awful things in life that others can’t understand anyone getting into? Life may be far more jolly for you but you would do well to understand (or reflect more on) the real world to refrain from being so quick to criticise those in a hard spot that may have genuine reason for speaking out.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Seriously do you think when somebody gets into a serious accident, the ambulance is called by the hurt person?🤦 there is always a buddy system in place for a risky job. police , firefighters etc so that if someone gets hurt, the other call that in.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I get the point totally. We live in the snowflake society where some riders forget they are getting paid to ride and get results. When they have a few issues they try to look outside of the real issue instead of themselves. It odd so many of the team are making no complaints and getting on with their job. If you do not like what you do find another job simples. Tough love as my mum would say.paultryan200207-11-2026
- many people advise him to grow slowly and rather do giro and/or vuelta instead of tdf. but i can totally understand that he is not satisfied with taking over once pogi declines, but instead beat him in his prime. so if he goes for tdf again, i‘m all for it. let‘s hope that pogi recovers soon!Ketterechts07-11-2026
- So gracious to offer something no-one would be prepared to pay for. The Giro is not the Tour and doesn’t command the same interest or attract the same “elite” (those willing to pay to be a part of something they consider has ego boosting potential). Roadside viewing will always largely remain free for everyone outside circuits. Introduction of a symbolic entrance to mountain climbs is worthy of exploration. Asking 1-2€ isn’t going to repulse real fans (most will spend 50-100€ on their outing that day all things included) but will prevent a portion of the total knobhead thrillseekers who will join in any large gathering as long as it’s free, just because they’re attracted to crowds, without which it it difficult for them to work up their anti-social behaviour.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- How is radio going to help when someone went over a cliff or bridge or off the roadside into a forest unnoticed and is laying there unconscious?Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Yep, next we’ll be accusing F1 drivers of avoiding Le Mans.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- But on what is that opinion based? Are you holding him to a different standard than others? Are you saying he should do learn to like something he doesn’t Are you saying he hasn’t achieved enough Are you saying he pretends to be better than his results? It’s actually a really strange opinion to oust if you consider it objectively or rationally. Try applying it to others or yourself by asking if not EVERYONE should then be doing more? Nobody in athletics or swimming gets criticism for not expanding their repertoire when a rival or someone else does. In fact, most who move to another event get accused of running from their rival. Opinions are boring, the reasons behind them are what count.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- for a medical chief to throw things like is just bad. There are already radios which were banned for spectacle. allow radios. Gps trackers are not a complete solutionabstractengineer07-11-2026
- any rider less than 25 whether they are really ready for the position of leadership of GT is probably not the case. I think Pogi himself suffered when he was defeated by Jonas in the TDF twice. But that would be the team's job to ensure support so that they can bounce back. It requires a team and time to get back up and win after getting knocked down.abstractengineer07-11-2026
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