"Eat, sleep, train, repeat": Niels Albert attributes Mathieu van der Poel's success to his crushing routine
Cyclocross
Mathieu van der Poel will be in the position to overwrite cyclocross history this Sunday. The Dutchman is currently tied for the record of rainbow jerseys with Eric De Vlaeminck who's been sat on the throne for over 50 years now. Pushed to the limits by home crowds in Hulst, can anything bar bad luck really stop Van der Poel?
The 2009 and 2012 world champion Niels Albert's era only briefly overlapped with Van der Poel's rise when the baton was passed between the two men who briefly wore the BKCP - Powerplus jersey in 2014. Back then, Van der Poel had just finished third at the under-23 World Championships (behind Wout Van Aert and Michael Vanthourenhout) while Albert bid farewell to his career.
It quickly became apparent that the young Dutchman would not have many weaknesses, although Albert could point out a room for growth in Van der Poel's absolute power. "Now, that's also completely perfect for him," he analyzes for Het Laatse Nieuws.
"See that Strava post from his 'MVDP Classic' in Spain? 215 kilometers at 38.5 km/h and an average of 295 watts! Hey. You can't train for that in Belgium. Unless you take wide, flat roads and ride a constant 45 km/h."
Absolute focus
Beyond Van der Poel's incredible talent, Albert also admires his strong mentality. "He decides everything himself. 'I'll just relax on my Spanish mountain, where I can do my thing to my heart's content, where he makes us toast and guacamole in the afternoon, everyone else leaves me alone, and I don't have to take anyone else into account,' he reasons."
"Interviews? He rarely does them. Aside from the obligatory quotes after every race or cyclocross race, you can dial into a Teams call once every six months for five questions or so. Eat, sleep, train, repeat. He's absolutely right to create that luxury for himself. Such extreme focus makes a real difference."
The best cyclocrosser to ever live
Albert and the other two guests Sven Nys and Erwin Vervecken, both as well multiple-time world champions, then settle on one thing; that Mathieu van der Poel is the best cyclocrosser of history. And it's not even close.
"Eight world titles soon," points out Vervecken. "That puts him close to the ten titles Nino Schurter has in mountain biking and Stefan Everts in motocross, across disciplines and sports. Iconic, indeed."
Albert continues that for Van der Poel, it has for a long time been a matter of passion and prestige above anything else. And the most prestigious title; 'The most rainbow jerseys' is already within his sight. What next? Perhaps mountain bikes where he's yet to win a rainbow jersey... "At 31, Mathieu has long since stopped being about the money, but purely about the prestige. 'What can take me even higher on the international sports ladder?'"
There's no doubt he has the qualities to add MTB world title to his road, gravel and 7 cyclocross titles, but how about other sports? Greg Van Avermaet believes triathlon would not be a poor match for Van der Poel's qualities, to which Nys adds: "If Mathieu tries another sport tomorrow, he'll just as easily excel in that too."
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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