"He was from another planet": Paul Magnier reveals the harsh reality of racing against his idol Mathieu van der Poel

The cycling world is always looking for the next big star. Young riders often face massive pressure to win immediately when they turn professional. However, French talent Paul Magnier is taking a different approach. Even though many people see him as a future champion, the young rider prefers patience rather than rushed expectations.

Magnier is part of a strong new generation of sprinters that includes riders like Olav Kooij and Arnaud De Lie. Fans and media already view him as a natural successor to absolute superstars like Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert despite his young age. Notwithstanding this hype, Magnier is very careful about his race schedule. In fact, he might skip major monument races like the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix entirely this season.

"I only want to start if I know I can perform," he explained in an interview with Wieler Revue. "That applies just as much to the Tour de France. I don't want to rush anything in my development."

Magnier learned exactly how much work he still has to do after racing against Van der Poel last year. At the Le Samyn race, the Dutch World Champion beat Magnier in a direct sprint to the finish line.

"My second place in Le Samyn behind Mathieu last year opened my eyes in that regard," Magnier admitted. "He was from another planet compared to me there. Later the same thing happened in the Renewi Tour."

Instead of feeling defeated, Magnier used this experience as motivation to keep working hard. "I still have enough time to close the gap, but for now he is still a lot stronger. He made me realize that I must not skip steps in my development," the young Frenchman noted. "Mathieu is an example for me, because he has so much class. He is the type of rider I want to become in the future."

Magnier's former trainer, Roman Vanstaen, confirmed the rider's deep admiration for Van der Poel. He recalled a conversation during the Frenchman's first high-altitude training camp.

"The first time at altitude camp I asked him about his role models. Then he answered: 'Mathieu van der Poel,'" Vanstaen said. "Paul loves the attractive way of racing and Mathieu's flair. That has an appeal to young riders."

Interestingly, the respect goes both ways. After their tough battle at Le Samyn, Van der Poel was curious about the young rider's physical abilities. According to Vanstaen, the Dutch star actually asked Tim Merlier to find out about Magnier's power data.

"In that sprint against Mathieu in Le Samyn, Paul reached a peak value of over 1400 watts," Vanstaen revealed. "In short, a good sprint, but unlike Mathieu, he no longer had that extra acceleration."

Magnier has had an oustanding start of the 2026 season. He made his debut in January, finishing second at the Clàssica Comunitat Valenciana - Gran Premi València, only behind Dylan Groenewegen. He then moved to Portugal, where he has dominated the sprints at Volta ao Algarve, winning two out of two with striking dominance.