“These riders nowadays really know how to put on a show, don’t they?” - Adrie van der Poel amazed by his son's performance at Paris-Roubaix 2025

Mathieu van der Poel's reign as king of the cobbles has extended for another year. The Dutch superstar made it a historic hat-trick of Paris-Roubaix victories on Sunday afternoon, pushing back the challenge of Tadej Pogacar to arrive in the iconic velodrome finale a solo leader.

Watching the action proudly, was Mathieu's father, Adrie van der Poel. “History tells us that only three riders have ever done this. Even if you win three times with a few years in between, that’s already special,” said Van der Poel senior in conversation with Wielerflits post-race, more than delighted by the performance of his son. “It never stops being amazing, the things Mathieu does.”

“His preparation for Roubaix was already better than the week before, but even last week, you could see how determined he was to get on that podium,” continues the 65-year-old. “I’m still amazed by how he manages to be in top form at the right time every single year. That’s why I think it’s good he’s said that this is it for now after Roubaix. He can take a break, recharge his batteries, and get ready for his next goals.”

The spectacle of Paris-Roubaix was about more than just Van der Poel this year though. “These riders nowadays really know how to put on a show, don’t they? You see that a lot of teams are incredibly strong across the board, and so they’re willing to sacrifice a few riders to create a mano-a-mano finale. In one way it’s tough - but it’s also nice to see someone like Mads Pedersen end up on the podium," says Adrie. "No one deserves to lose out because of a puncture. In the end, the three strongest guys stood on the podium."

Most notably, the aforementioned Pogacar put up a hell of a fight before a late crash eventually ruled the world champion out of race-winning contention. "Was there some luck involved? Sure, but some things you bring upon yourself - like Tadej’s mistake, although I have to admit, I didn’t actually see it,” he continues. "This year, only two teams really rode the big Classics: Alpecin-Deceuninck and Tadej’s team (UAE Team Emirates - XRG ed.). So it’s nice to see them get rewarded for their efforts. In the races they didn’t take part in, you saw a completely different dynamic. I think we always race based on our own strengths, even when things don’t go our way. We don’t obsess over other teams.”

But with this win, Van der Poel has now added an 8th Monument to his palmares. Just how many more can the Dutchman add? “He might say, ‘Only two to go,’” his father laughs in conclusion. “But what I really admire is that he doesn’t think like that. Journalists and stats people are far more obsessed with those numbers. He just says, ‘Dad, I want to win races.’ Whether it’s the third time or the fourth - it’s all the same to him.”