Koksijde, November 24, 2019 One of the single most incredible things I’ve ever seen in cycling Mathieu van der Poel got caught behind a first lap crash By minute 7.5, he had passed ~50 riders and caught 1st🤯 By minute 11 he was solo😎 Eventually winning the race by 25 sec🚀
Mathieu van der Poel thinks about career and taking time off cyclocross in the future: "I don't know how much longer I'll keep racing"
CyclingSaturday, 25 November 2023 at 20:30
Taking a winter off from cyclocross, his career's longevity and achievements already taken on the road. These were some of the things Mathieu van der Poel has discussed in an interview that is soon to be released, but has been now teased by Wielerflits.
“The back will always remain a working point. On the road I have that injury well under control. In fact, I hardly had any problems there and last year I had the best road season of my career;" van der Poel said in an interview with RIDE Magazine. "Now that I'm focusing on cyclocross again for the winter months, we have to wait and see how that back will hold up. That uncertainty will always remain.”
Cyclocross was in fact a big point of discussion and van der Poel, a legend of the sport, considers experiencing something new in the future after having achieved so much. “Yes, that does cross my mind. We also talked about it within the team. I don't know how much longer I'll keep racing. An occasional winter without cyclo-cross would also be nice," he says.
Having won the elite world championships five times, alongside countless other victories at all levels, van der Poel has virtually done everything that could be done in the discipline. He remains among the very best at it however and enjoys the racing, which is why he keeps coming back every winter. "Not just to avoid taking risks with my back. I actually do racing purely for fun. And of course the world title is still an important goal. I actually see the rest of the season more as a winter activity. There is no longer much for me to gain in terms of sport.”
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- We ll talk about all of this in 10 years - but for now lets stop the bullshitChrisBe14-11-2024
- This may very well be is the least germaine comment I've ever read online.verve82514-11-2024
- Yes! Clear up these gray areas before lives are lost or damaged!velodan14-11-2024
- Surely the question should be what else are they using as they smash climbing records? Records that have stood since the EPO era.DJ14-11-2024
- Why? He is past his "sell by "date. Just like Froome.
ScottG14-11-2024 - Without Wout or mvdp cyclocross is a sleeperScottG14-11-2024
- Tom has a bit of an overblown image of himself. Contrast him to Pog- night and day.ScottG14-11-2024
- The other commenters are exactly right - different eras. It does help that bikes now have lower gears without sacrificing higher ones. Merckx rode up mountain passes with a 5 speed cluster- and I doubt he had anything less than a 42x24. See how exhausted you'd be going up Mont Ventoux with that, lol.ScottG14-11-2024
- Times have changed, Bart Wellens, and it's only natural and makes total sense that riders like Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel's primary focus is on their road careers. It has absolutely nothing to do with doing a 'disservice' to the UCI.
santiagobenites14-11-2024 - Bad for us, good for them, indifferent for newcomers. When a bank offers you 50 to open an account is that good or bad? Good for you, bad for existing clients paying for it who received nothing when they joined, indifferent for future new clients who might get 100.Mistermaumau14-11-2024