David van der Poel "not jealous, but very proud" of World Championship winning brother Mathieu

For many, living in the shadow of a more successful sibling could be hard to deal with. For David van der Poel however it is something that fills him with pride.

After his younger brother Mathieu van der Poel rode to the fifth Cyclocross World Championship victory of his career, David spoke to RTBF of his joy at seeing his siblings' success. "I'm not jealous, but very proud," he says. "I know what Mathieu has to do to reach his level and I know the hard training he has to go through. I couldn't!"

Despite being forever known as the brother of Mathieu, David is an accomplished rider in his own right something he is keen to point out. “I don't feel that way, although it is clear that some opponents think so. I know my strengths and weaknesses very well. I know what the team expects of me and I'm convinced that they will keep me in the team because I'm worth it and not because I'm Mathieu's brother," he states strongly.

"Mathieu just sees me as a brother. Very simple actually. We don't normally participate in the same competitions. When we see each other, we naturally also talk about other things than the race. Mentally you have to avoid being fixated on the races all the time"