“If he were not Poulidor's grandson he would not be as highly regarded" - Mathieu van der Poel overrated according to Jerome Pineau

The controversial Jerome Pineau is no stranger to hot-takes, having previously publicly accused Team Visma | Lease a Bike of mechanical doping. His latest tirade however, might be the most controversial yet.

Former team manager of B&B Hotels-KTM, Pineau has sensationally claimed that dual-discipline world champion Mathieu van der Poel is overrated due to his family ties with the legendary darling of French cycling, Raymond Poulidor. "There is something that bothers me enormously. Do you know why no one criticizes Mathieu van der Poel ? Because he is Poupou's grandson," Pineau explains to RMC.

“If he were not Poulidor's grandson, the songs he performs would not be as highly regarded as they are now," Pineau continues. “Then that would be assessed more accurately than the performance of someone like Tadej Pogacar. And if Van der Poel does not perform, will it be mentioned? No, because he is Poulidor's grandson."

Pineau's comments are sure to spark a reaction! What do you think, is van der Poel overrated because of his legendary grandfather? Let us know your thoughts!