21/12/2023

Mathieu van der Poel named Dutch Sportsman of the Year ahead of Max Verstappen and Harrie Lavreysen

On Wednesday evening, Mathieu van der Poel won the Sportsman of the Year award at the NOC*NSF sports gala. The cyclist left Formula 1 driver, and three-time winner of the award, Max Verstappen and track cyclist Harrie Lavreysen behind.

This was announced during the annual sports gala of NOC*NSF and NOS. Here, other athletes can vote for their personal winner, these votes count for 50 per cent. The other half is determined by a professional jury.

2023's best-paid cyclists - Tadej Pogacar, Tom Pidcock and Geraint Thomas the Top 3

Van der Poel had an incredibly successful year, winning the world championships in both road and cyclocross. He also won the monuments Paris-Roubaix and Milan-San Remo. The Dutchman says he is super happy to receive the award for the second time, but that it cannot match the Paris-Roubaix trophy. "I always give my most beautiful and important trophies a nice spot. That cobblestone is in the gym. I don't look at it often, but the Jaap Eden Trophy will also get a nice spot."

He concludes his thanks by looking ahead to his goals for road and cyclocross in 2024. "Next year is not entirely about the Olympics. There are so many other important races in cycling. The Games is the most important thing in many sports. In cycling it is a bit less so, although of course it would be no less beautiful to become Olympic champion."

"Liège-Bastogne-Liège and the Tour of Lombardy will normally be almost impossible for me to win. But I never thought five years ago I would have won the rest either," he says, laughing.

Mathieu van der Poel believes he can win Liege-Bastogne-Liege "but if Remco Evenepoel or Tadej Pogacar participate it will be a different story"

Mathieu van der Poel has beaten Max Verstappen and he was named sportsman of the year in the Netherlands. 🇳🇱

Big congratulations 👏🏼 pic.twitter.com/Z1O2ayyQz2
— Lukáš Ronald Lukács (@lucasaganronald) December 20, 2023