Mathieu van der Poel’s “normal life” showcased in new documentary: “At home he’s no different from the Mathieu you see in races”

Mathieu van der Poel’s 2026 season has already reinforced his status as one of the defining riders of his generation, from an early statement win at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad to head-to-head battles with Tadej Pogacar in Sanremo and Flanders. But away from the cobbles and the spotlight, a newly released documentary offers a different perspective on the Alpecin-Premier Tech rider.

In This is Home, produced in collaboration with Shimano, Van der Poel opens the door to a side of his life rarely seen publicly, alongside his family and partner Roxanne. The central theme is not dominance or rivalry, but something far simpler. As Van der Poel himself puts it, “How normal my life is. And the close bond with my family.”

That idea of normality sits in contrast to the rider’s place in the modern peloton. Over the past year alone, Van der Poel has continued to shape the biggest races on the calendar, combining Monument success with his usual winter cyclocross dominance. Yet the documentary deliberately shifts the focus away from results and towards routine.

“We felt this was the right moment to show a more complete picture of who I am. As an athlete, but also as a person,” he explains, framing the project as a conscious decision rather than a departure from his usual guarded approach to privacy.

The film moves between locations in Belgium and Spain, reflecting the structure of Van der Poel’s life away from racing. In ’s Gravenwezel, scenes inside the family home underline the influence of a lineage that has shaped his career, from his father Adrie’s guidance to the wider legacy of the Poulidor family.

That upbringing is not presented as mythology, but as something grounded. Stories from his early years point to a rider who was already independent, even stubborn at times, willing to ignore advice and follow his own instincts. Traits that remain visible in the way he races today.

Away from cycling, the documentary leans into the routines that underpin his consistency. Time spent with friends on the golf course is one example. “I’m a bit obsessed with golf,” he admits. “It’s a nice way to catch up with friends and to get away from the bike for a while.”

That balance between intensity and detachment has become a defining part of Van der Poel’s career. Even in a season where he has again been at the centre of the sport’s biggest races, the emphasis remains on maintaining a stable environment rather than chasing constant exposure.

“I stay focused by being in a familiar environment and sticking to simple routines,” he says. “But that also applies to our base in Spain, where I can really relax and recharge, often in much better weather.”

If the documentary offers insight into Van der Poel’s environment, it is Roxanne’s perspective that perhaps defines its central message.

In one moment inside their home, she highlights a consistency between public image and private life that is rarely associated with riders of his profile. “At home, he’s no different from the Mathieu you see in races,” she says. “The way you see him is how I see him, too.”

It is a line that cuts through the usual separation between athlete and individual. In a sport where narratives are often built around pressure, expectation and rivalry, This is home presents Van der Poel as someone whose identity remains largely unchanged by success.

That does not diminish the scale of his achievements. If anything, it reframes them. The same rider capable of dictating the biggest Classics in the world is also someone who places value on routine, familiarity and a tight circle away from the sport.

For a rider who has spent much of the past decade at the centre of cycling’s biggest moments, that may be the most revealing insight of all.