"If I were a child today, he would be my idol" - Tadej Pogacar opens up on his friendship with Mathieu van der Poel
Cycling
Tadej Pogacar and Mathieu van der Poel are two of the most entertaining riders around today. Both are incredibly talented in various types of riding and it seems there is a deep mutual respect between the two.
Speaking to Het Laatste Nieuws, Pogacar has opened up a bit on his relationship with van der Poel, explaining how they are fierce rivals on the bike but close friends off it. “He is a super nice guy,” the Slovenian says about the Dutchman. "I consider Mathieu a true friend, but also an opponent."
"It's not like between him and Wout van Aert, but still: we meet a few times every year for a serious duel," Pogacar adds. "I think he is one of the best riders in the world. If I were a child today, he would be my idol.”
Results between the pair have seen van der Poel come out on top more often than not. At Milano-Sanremo this year, it was van der Poel who took the victory with Pogacar fourth. At the E3 Saxo Classic, Pogacar was again behind van der Poel but both riders had to settle for the bottom two steps on the podium behind the winner, Wout van Aert.
And most notably at the World Championships, van der Poel took the rainbow jersey with the Slovenian settling for a podium place. With Pogacar having outlined his intentions to take World Championship glory in 2024, more battles between the pair seem certain.
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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parisbound0008-11-2026 - there needs to be space in life for pointless comments!Ketterechts08-11-2026
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