"It really wasn't fun anymore" - Mathieu van der Poel admits persisting back issues almost forced him into early retirement

This winter's cyclocross campaign has arguably been Mathieu van der Poel's best. With that coming off the back of a fabulous 2023 on the road where he claimed the Rainbow Jersey, the Dutchman is right in the mix for the best bike rider on the planet.

It's not always been so easy for van der Poel however. Whilst his undoubted talent has always shone through, a persisting back injury almost brought his career to a premature halt. As he explains in an open and honest conversation with HUMO.

"The problems with my back were such a difficult period. It really wasn't fun anymore then. And as a result, unfortunately for Roxanne (his partner ed.), I wasn't the nicest person at home. But I immediately told her: If these problems continue, I will stop," he recalls. “The limit was in sight. I was almost done with it. If it had lasted longer… I don't know what I would have done. Fortunately, things got better over time by doing a lot of exercises.”

At times it seems like nothing can stop van der Poel but even nowadays the old back issue occasionally flares up once again. "When I start training again after a long rest, I feel my back acting up," he admits. "Then it sometimes crosses my mind: it won't happen, will it? But I have it under control. I do stability exercises almost every day and I go to the gym two to three times a week to train my back.”