Mathieu van der Poel: Already a cycling legend, but how much further can he go?

Thursday, 10 October 2024 at 12:28

In the world of cycling, few riders have the versatility, skill, and sheer dominance that Mathieu van der Poel possesses. He has already cemented his legacy as a legend across multiple disciplines, but his latest triumph begs the question: just how far can he go?

Last month in Zurich, van der Poel lost his World Road Race Championship title to Tadej Pogacar, but that minor setback was quickly overshadowed by another milestone in his glittering career. Just last weekend in Leuven, Belgium, the Dutchman put on a masterclass to win the Gravel World Championship, adding yet another rainbow jersey to his palmarès. This latest triumph shows that van der Poel isn’t just a road cycling phenomenon, he's an all-terrain master.

Dominance in Leuven

The Gravel World Championship saw some of the most versatile riders in the peloton line up, from road specialists to cyclocross riders. The chaotic 180-kilometer race was the perfect battleground for someone with van der Poel’s wide array of skills, blending technical ability with raw power.

The Dutchman attacked with over 100 kilometres to go, and while he initially paused to rejoin the main group, largely filled with Belgian riders, he would eventually break away with Florian Vermeersch. As the race entered its final stages, van der Poel’s superiority became evident. With 13 kilometres left, he launched a brutal uphill attack, leaving Vermeersch and the chasing pack behind. He arrived solo in Leuven to claim yet another world title.

This win makes van der Poel the reigning cyclocross and gravel World Champion, adding to the road race world title he won in Glasgow in 2023. At just 29, the Dutchman now holds eight professional rainbow jerseys across three disciplines, further establishing his place among the sport's greats.

A Legacy Across Multiple Disciplines

When it comes to cycling's greatest all-rounders, the debate often turns to the likes of Eddy Merckx and Marianne Vos. However, Mathieu van der Poel’s palmarès already makes him a contender for that conversation.

Van der Poel has dominated cyclocross for the better part of the last decade, claiming six world titles. His fiercest rival, Wout van Aert, has often been his biggest challenge in the discipline, but van der Poel has consistently edged out the Belgian in the biggest races. Whether in mud, sand, or snow, the Dutchman’s handling skills and explosive power have made him virtually untouchable in cyclocross, particularly in receMa

mathieuvanderpoel woutvanaert cyclocross

Mathieu van der Poel has been the number 1 in cyclocross for several seasons

On the road, van der Poel’s crowning achievement came in 2023 when he won the World Road Race Championship in Glasgow. His victory there, on a day that saw him blast away from the likes of van Aert and Pogacar, some of the best road cyclists in the world, was a testament to his tactical intelligence and physical prowess. It added yet another prestigious rainbow jersey to his collection.

Now, with the Gravel World Championship win, van der Poel becomes one of the few riders to claim world titles across multiple disciplines. This level of versatility is rarely seen in modern cycling, where most riders specialize in either road, cyclocross, mountain biking, or track racing. Van der Poel’s ability to excel across such varied disciplines is reminiscent of cycling legends from a former era, making him one of the most versatile riders of his generation.

At 29 years old, van der Poel’s career is far from over, and there’s still room for him to add even more achievements to his already packed palmarès. He’s under contract with Alpecin-Deceuninck until the end of 2028, giving him plenty of time to continue dominating in various disciplines.

But what’s next for the Dutchman?

More Grand Tour Success?

While van der Poel’s ability to win single-day races is unquestioned, his Grand Tour success has been more limited. He has just two Grand Tour stage victories to his name—one at the Tour de France in 2021 and another at the Giro d’Italia in 2022. However, it’s worth noting that van der Poel wore the coveted yellow jersey during the 2021 Tour de France, an achievement that would be the career highlight for summer riders.

Compared to his arch-rival Wout van Aert, who has multiple Grand Tour stage wins, van der Poel’s tally is modest. However, his strengths lie in the one-day classics and cyclocross, where his explosive power and technical ability shine. It’s unlikely that van der Poel will ever compete for a Grand Tour overall victory, his 6-foot frame and weight make him less suited to mountain stages, but there’s no reason why he can’t add more stage wins in the coming years.

A Rainbow Jersey in Mountain Biking?

One intriguing possibility is for van der Poel to target a world title in yet another discipline: mountain biking. The 2025 Mountain Bike World Championships will be held in Zermatt, Switzerland, and van der Poel has expressed interest in competing for the title. "I have never made a secret of the fact that I also really want that world title in mountain biking," he said recently to AD. Should he win, it would be the fourth category where he holds a rainbow jersey, further cementing his status as the most versatile rider on the planet.

With the 2025 Road World Championships set to take place on a hilly course in Rwanda, van der Poel could choose to skip the road event and focus entirely on mountain biking. Given his technical prowess and racing IQ, he’s more than capable of adding a mountain biking world title to his already impressive collection.

Winning a hilly Monument?

Van der Poel has already won six Monuments, the most prestigious one-day races in cycling, including Milan-San Remo, Paris-Roubaix (2023 and 2024), and three victories at the Tour of Flanders. However, two of cycling’s five Monuments still elude him: Liège-Bastogne-Liège and Il Lombardia, both of which feature far more climbing than his previous wins.

These hilly Monuments are typically the domain of riders like Tadej Pogacar, Remco Evenepoel, and other climbers, who also excel in high-altitude mountain stages at the summer’s Grand Tours. But van der Poel is no stranger to defying expectations. While it would be a tall order for him to win Liège or Il Lombardia, it’s not out of the question. He’s proven time and time again that he can thrive in unexpected situations, and a win in either of these races would only add to his legendary status.

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With eight rainbow jerseys across three disciplines, six Monument wins, and countless other victories, Mathieu van der Poel has already achieved more than most cyclists could ever dream of. But at 29 years old, his career is far from over, and there’s still plenty of time for him to add even more accolades to his name.

Whether it’s winning more Grand Tour stages, adding a mountain bike world title, or finally conquering Liège or Lombardia, van der Poel has the talent and ambition to keep pushing the limits of what’s possible in cycling. His versatility, power, and tactical intelligence make him one of the most exciting riders to watch, and there’s no doubt that he’ll continue to be a dominant force in the sport for years to come.

Mathieu van der Poel is already a legend. But could he go even further? Only time will tell.

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6 Comments

mobk 10 October 2024 at 01:09+ 1612

Win a Vuelta stage to complete that trilogy. Win LBL (a stretch but possible). Keep winning Flanders and PR. Win MTB rainbow jersey. Modest goals!

vappaxbipmv 09 October 2024 at 18:37+ 847

Simple, win P-R and Flanders as many times as you can, plus more Tour stages

OCexile 14 October 2024 at 08:18+ 575

for the sake of his legacy, that missing piece of his palmares — grand tour stage wins and particularly TDF stage wins — seems like it’s a bigger deal than one might expect given his dominance so many other areas. even after his road world championship, where he just NUKED wout, pog, and mads pedersen, there were still LOADS of pundits and commentators who rated Van Aert above Van der Poel. that’s all about wout’s 9 tdf stage wins (across varying stage profiles). i personally don’t think that assessment makes too much sense, but in the popular imagination sometimes the Tour is ALMOST all that matters. again, i think that’s nutty, but there it is. however, unlike the popular imagination, winning tdf stages hasn’t seemed to really capture MATHIEU’S imagination. in fact he seems less and less interested in that rather than more and more as the years go by. he’s by far my favorite rider since i started following cycling in 1982, so part of me wishes he’d just get on it and really target tour stages for a few years. on the other hand, one of the things i like about him is that he sets his own agenda, decides what HE cares about, chases THOSE goals with all he’s got, and doesn’t spend much time caring about anything else.

Mistermaumau 09 October 2024 at 19:53+ 3534

Yes, it’s not exactly as if he entered the Tours so far with very precise goals, it was more a mix of let’s see what happens, let’s help get the sprint stages, let’s do some PR, let’s do some tests before the differing goals he had in mind towards the end or after the Tour.

OCexile 14 October 2024 at 08:18+ 575

right? i mean, he really came in steaming his first tour, win stage 2, defended the yellow with a great time trial (5th place, like 2 seconds behind wout), but then bailed out (as he said he would) to go to tokyo MTB. next year, he ruined himself in the tour of italy and had nuthin’ at the Tour. since then he’s mainly just been there to help jasper and to train for World Championships. it’s not PC to say OUT LOUD you’re using THE TOUR as TRAINING, but it’s pretty clear that’s what he was doing. he did really nothing to prepare for those tours because those tours WERE his prep for other goals.

in addition to him seemingly not being very motivated by the Tour (which as a fan i do regret a little), there’s something ELSE it SEEMS he should be great at but couldn’t care less about — TIME TRIALING! i mean, he’s an endurance high-wattage MONSTER (see recent paris-roubaix, et al). he’s got a naturally beautiful aero position on a road bike, and most significantly he can ride way beyond his limit and empty his tank like very few riders have ever been able to do. he SHOULD be a killer in the TT, shouldn’t he? but again, mathieu has his own likes and dislikes, and at the end of the day that’s that with him.

Mistermaumau 09 October 2024 at 15:01+ 3534

Anyone who finishes 2nd or 3rd can win, especially in a year when the winner is missing although at the moment there are several possibilities for winners who’ve got to be missing simultaneously ;-)