Getting surrounded by snakes, falling from a skyscraper, seeing at your door an ugly, old witch? Nah, Mathieu van der Poel's nightmare is sprinting against a Dane after 250 km. 🤷♂️ #GW24
Mathieu van der Poel admits to having lost big races due to rookie mistakes: "I've also lost races by trying to entertain myself too much"
CyclingWednesday, 27 March 2024 at 11:15
Mathieu van der Poel has always been knowing for his aggressive style of racing but that has not always worked out for him. In a recent interview he admits that he has in fact lost several times as he looked to provide a spectacle.
"It's difficult, but I've also lost races by trying to entertain myself too much," he said in words to Canyon, with whom he renewed a long-term sponsorship contract. "If I stop soon, everyone will look at my record and not at the races in which I rode spectacularly. I made that switch two or three years ago. I didn't want to look back on the missed opportunities anymore."
One can only speculate exactly which races he refers to, but the truth is that over his time as a road racer he's already gathered immense success including four monument wins, a World title, a stage and yellow jersey at the Tour de France and much more. However that does not mean the Alpecin-Deceuninck rider didn't make mistakes in the past and his over-aggressive attitude may have cost him triumphs. However after deciding not to do it anymore, that is now the case once again as he is able to see that long-range attacks arre becoming more and more common in the peloton and he is no longer an outlier.
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"But nowadays everyone participates from ninety kilometers before the finish. I am not alone anymore," he says; with great recent examples being those of Tadej Pogacar at Strade Bianche, and his own attacks at the E3 Saxo Classic and Gent-Wevelgem which saw several riders working together with him. "I know that winning the biggest races is much more important than doing something stupid in a race."
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James2631822-11-2024 - is it normal in Denmark not to have a name for the baby after 2 month of his birth? how is the baby officially registered in the municipality/commune? is it not immediate?
maria2024202422-11-2024 - Convicted of? Didn't need to be convicted. He confessed. But he was guilty of fraud, racketeering, bribery, drug smuggling, threating witnesses, and extortion.Sweep22-11-2024
- And Lance is regularly at his side. I want to puke each time I see them together.dabman21-11-2024
- WADA had no issues with looking the other way when Lance tested positive. Sorry WADA but you lack credibility.dabman21-11-2024
- Disappointing that his agent could get him €40m/yr.Front24221-11-2024
- Its actually simple, He had just signed a contract earlier in the year. but He wanted more money and possibly support. So he leftabstractengineer21-11-2024
- He just missed Peter Sagan 🙄James2631821-11-2024
- The route looks kinda like a rat, or some other of that sort. To me, if you flip it a bit. Or maybe its the time, ocd.Stitz21-11-2024
- Total Energies necessarily mean a lot just all they got. Insert Scotty's voice here.Sweep21-11-2024