“If he were not Poulidor's grandson he would not be as highly regarded" - Mathieu van der Poel overrated according to Jerome Pineau
Cycling
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!
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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🗣💬 @jejeroule44 : "Mathieu van der Poel, personne ne le critique parce que c'est le petit-fils de Poulidor, c'est tout !
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