"He's an inspiration to everyone in our team" - Mathieu van der Poel's teammate about the world champion's importance for Alpecin-Deceuninck

While Mathieu van der Poel is the main star of Alpecin-Deceuninck, much of his success wouldn't have been possible without the selfless work of his loyal teammates. One of the men 'behind the scenes', the former Swiss champion Silvan Dillier talks about racing for the Dutch phenomenon but also about his personal growth over the years.

The 34-year-old domestique explained in an interview with Wieler Revue, how great it is to ride for a leader such as Van der Poel at a big race like Tour of Flanders. "That is a tough race, but also one that I can enjoy. It also plays a role that I get to ride for guys that you know are actually capable of winning. It gives a different motivation than when you ride for a leader who in the best scenario can just finish in the top ten."

During his long career, the Swissman rode with many top tier riders in AG2R and BMC, but none of them came even close to the Dutchman's qualities. "Van der Poel is without a doubt the greatest rider I've ever been in the team with," the 2018 Paris-Roubaix runner-up continued with similar praise for the world champion. "He's an inspiration to everyone in our team. The attack with which he decided Paris-Roubaix... That's just beautiful to see. For us too."

Dillier indicates that he has seen the now very experienced Van der Poel change over the years. "When I joined the team it was almost every day," he indicated in the context of training camps. "We have become a bit calmer and train a bit more structured, but from time to time we can't hold back and the training explodes as can happen in a race."

"It also helps that Mathieu has changed a bit," Dillier concluded. "He's definitely the fuel on the fire when it's time to race. If he feels like playing, it doesn't matter what's on the schedule that day. If he wants to race on a quiet day, then it's time to race. I would say that I've been able to push him to the limit, but of course I'm not going to run myself ragged in one training session when there's a whole training camp ahead of us. We always get to a point where we think: that's enough now."