“I’d hope our daughter inherits from you” – Roxanne Bertels shares emotional message to Mathieu van der Poel after Tour de France heroics
Cycling
Roxanne Bertels has shared an emotional message to Mathieu van der Poel after his spectacular end to the Tour de France, revealing the quality she most hopes their daughter inherits from the Dutchman.
Van der Poel and Bertels announced shortly before the Tour that they are expecting their first child in January 2027. In her latest Instagram post after three weeks following the race, Bertels appeared to confirm that the couple are expecting a daughter.
The post came after Van der Poel ended his Tour in memorable fashion, winning the final stage in Paris after attacking with Tadej Pogacar on the Montmartre circuit before holding off the chasing group on the Champs-Elysees.
It was his second stage victory of the 2026 Tour, after also winning stage 9 into Ussel.
Roxanne Bertels praises Mathieu van der Poel after Paris triumph
Bertels posted a series of images from the race, including moments around Paris and with Van der Poel, having followed the Tour alongside the Alpecin-Premier Tech group. “C’est fini,” she wrote. “It’s always an incredible adventure to follow the team with the girls during the Tour De France.”
Addressing Van der Poel directly, Bertels wrote: “I love you in a way that words will never fully explain. Every part of who you are fascinates me .. your dreams, your strength, your resilience.”
She continued: “The list of qualities I’d hope our daughter inherits from you is endless. But if I could choose just one, it would be your incredible determination. The way you work so hard and never, ever give up.”
Van der Poel responded in the comments with his own short message, writing: “Best mommy to be.”
Van der Poel ends Tour with two stage wins and Paris statement
The exchange came at the end of a Tour where Van der Poel again mixed personal ambition with his role in Alpecin-Premier Tech’s sprint plans around Jasper Philipsen. His final-day victory in Paris was the standout moment, with Van der Poel attacking alongside Pogacar before leaving the Tour winner behind in the closing kilometre and narrowly staying clear of the chasers.
For Van der Poel and Bertels, July began with the announcement that “Bébé VDP” is expected at the start of 2027. It ended with Van der Poel taking two Tour stage wins, Bertels sharing her first public words about their daughter, and the couple heading into the rest of the year with a very different milestone ahead.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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