Mathieu van der Poel

Mathieu van der Poel

Mathieu Van der Poel at the 2015 Ronde van Limburg.
Personal information
Full name Mathieu van der Poel
Born (1995-01-19) 19 January 1995
Kapellen, Antwerp, Belgium
Team information
Current team BKCP–Powerplus
Discipline Cyclo-cross and road
Role Rider
Rider type Cyclo-cross
All-rounder (road)
Amateur team(s)
2012–2013 IKO Enertherm-BKCP
Professional team(s)
2014– BKCP–Powerplus
Infobox last updated on
1 February 2015
This is a Dutch name; the family name is Van der Poel, not Poel.

Mathieu van der Poel (born 19 January 1995) is a Dutch cyclist, who currently competes in the cyclo-cross and road bicycle racing disciplines of the sport for the BKCP–Powerplus team.[1] He is best known for winning the Cyclo-cross World Championships, in Tábor, Czech Republic in 2015, the Junior Road Race World Championships in Florence, Italy in 2013,[2] and twice winning the Junior Cyclo-cross World Championships, in Koksijde, Belgium in 2012,[3] and Louisville, USA in 2013; the first rider to win multiple titles at that level.[4]

Born in Kapellen – located in the Antwerp province of Belgium – Van der Poel comes from a family of professional cyclists; his brother David is also prominent in cyclo-cross racing, winning the 2013 national under-23 championships in Hilvarenbeek.[5] His father, Adri, was a six-time national champion and won the world title in 1996; he was also a two-time stage winner at the Tour de France and a winner of several Classics during his career.[2] His maternal grandfather Raymond Poulidor,[6] a French cyclist, was a Grand Tour winner at the 1964 Vuelta a España and finished the Tour de France in a runner-up position five times during his career.[7]

Career

Junior career

Early progression in cyclo-cross (2009–2012)

Van der Poel made his debut in cyclo-cross during the 2009–10 season, competing in the debutant cadets category. He won several local races, and at the national championships in Heerlen, Van der Poel finished in second place, fifteen seconds behind the champion Erik Kramer.[8] He moved into the novices ranks in 2010–11, and ultimately won most of the races that he contested; he also combined this with racing on the roads in the summer of 2011, and ultimately won the Dutch Novice Time Trial Championships in Zwartemeer. The following winter, Van der Poel advanced to the junior ranks, and was even more dominant than the previous season; out of all the races he contested, he failed to finish first on only one occasion, when he finished third to Wout van Aert and Quentin Jaurégui at Ruddervoorde.[9] He also claimed the junior titles at national,[10] European,[11] and World Championship level,[3] each one by a convincing margin.[12]

First road race wins and perfect cyclo-cross season (2012–2013)

Van der Poel at the 2013 Krawatencross.

During the 2012 road season, Van der Poel achieved his first general classification victory[13] at the Ronde des Vallées; he also won the young rider classification at the same race, and also won a similar classification at the Tour du Valromey when he finished in sixth place overall. Van der Poel was also a member of the Dutch World Championship squad, when he competed in the junior road race; he finished within the 56-rider main group, and finished as the best-placed Dutch rider, in ninth position.[14] Picking up where he left off the previous winter, Van der Poel's 2012–13 cyclo-cross campaign was flawless; he contested thirty races, and won every single one of them.[15] Having defended his European title in the United Kingdom,[16] Van der Poel maintained his Dutch title in Hilvarenbeek on the same day that his brother David won the under-23 championships.[5]

World champion in cyclo-cross and on the road (2013)

The following month from his Dutch title, Van der Poel became the first cyclist to defend his junior world title, by winning the race in Louisville, Kentucky, ahead of team-mate Martijn Budding.[17] In the 2013 road season, Van der Poel contested several Nations' Cup Juniors events for the Dutch national team. At the Course de la Paix, Van der Poel won the opening stage[18] in a six-rider select group; he held the race lead into the following day, where Mads Pedersen assumed the race lead for the remainder of the race in an individual time trial around Třebenice. Van der Poel ultimately finished the race in third place, behind Pedersen and Logan Owen.[19] His next appearance came at the Grand Prix Général Patton, where he soloed – from 14 km (8.7 mi) remaining[20] – to a six-second victory on the race's second and final stage in Wincrange, en route to finishing second place overall, five seconds adrift of race-winner Christoffer Lisson of Denmark.[20][21] In the process, he also won the points and mountains sub-classifications.[21]

Van der Poel bookended stage victories at the Ain'Ternational–Rhône Alpes–Valromey Tour; riding for Enerthem-BKCP, he won a five-rider sprint on the opener,[22] and defeated France's Elie Gesbert in a head-to-head finish on the final stage,[23] to take the overall race victory by almost half a minute from Gesbert.[24] Prior to his next Nations Cup appearance, Van der Poel won the Dutch national junior road race championships in Chaam.[25] At the Trophée Centre Morbihan, Van der Poel won the race overall,[26] having defended the race lead from the start, after winning a head-to-head sprint against Belarus' Aliaksandr Riabushenko on the opening stage.[26] In the lead up to the World Championships, Van der Poel dominated the Grand Prix Rüebliland event, as he won the opening three of the race's four stages.[27] He won a three-rider sprint in Bettwil to win the opening stage,[27] before a solo victory the following day in Leutwil,[27] and a victory in a 9 km (5.6 mi) individual time trial in Hunzenschwil.[27] Pedersen got the better of Van der Poel in a bunch sprint on the final stage, but Van der Poel had done enough to win the race overall by 46 seconds over Pedersen.[27]

Van der Poel en route to winning the gold medal for the men's junior road race, at the 2013 UCI Road World Championships.

This form made Van der Poel one of the favourites for the World Championships,[28] where he would lead the Dutch squad. In addition to competing in the road race, Van der Poel contested the junior time trial race for the Netherlands, along with Sam Oomen. Van der Poel finished 50th out of the 84 riders to complete the course, over two minutes down on the eventual world champion Igor Decraene of Belgium.[29] In the road race, Van der Poel attacked on the final lap,[30] and bridged up to the race leader Franck Bonnamour of France; he later distanced him on the final climb of Via Salviati – around 5 km (3.1 mi) from the finish – and soloed away to win the gold medal,[2] ahead of Pedersen and Albania's Nikaj Iltjan.[31][32]

Senior career

Van der Poel moved into the under-23 category ahead of the 2013–14 cyclo-cross season.[33] In his first race in the class, Van der Poel won the GP Mario De Clercq – in the BPost Bank Trophy – at Ronse, defeating nearest rival Gianni Vermeersch by twelve seconds.[34] After he finished third in his first World Cup race,[35] Van der Poel won the second round of the season at Tábor in the Czech Republic, beating Vermeersch once again by three seconds.[36] In the process, Van der Poel became the first rider since Niels Albert in 2004 to take an under-23 race victory as a first-year rider.[37] He completed a clean sweep of victories in the major cyclo-cross competitions, by winning at Ruddervoorde in the Superprestige the following day, leading home his rivals by almost a minute.[38] He won a silver medal at the European Cyclo-cross Championships in Mladá Boleslav in the Czech Republic,[39] finishing 23 seconds behind winner Michael Vanthourenhout.

Van der Poel turned professional with the BKCP–Powerplus team at the start of the 2014 season, joining brother David at the squad, having signed a four-year contract.[1] Prior to doing so, Van der Poel made his elite début in the Scheldecross Antwerpen,[40] in December 2013; Van der Poel was competing alongside professionals as there was no under-23 race. He finished second in the race, five seconds behind his future team-mate Niels Albert,[41] having dropped Philipp Walsleben and Rob Peeters in the closing stages.[42] He again finished second to Albert ten days later in the Grand Prix De Ster Sint-Niklaas, losing out in a two-man sprint finish.[43] He ended 2013 with his fourth Superprestige victory of the season at Diegem.[44]

After finishing second to Wout van Aert in his opening race of 2014 at the Grand Prix Sven Nys,[45] Van der Poel secured the overall Under-23 World Cup title with his fourth win of the season, at the Memorial Romano Scotti in Rome.[46] He achieved his first professional victory at the Boels Classic Internationale in Heerlen, beating closest rivals Thijs van Amerongen and Rob Peeters.[47] In his first senior road race, Van der Poel finished seventh in the Omloop der Kempen, which had finished in a sprint to the line in Veldhoven.

Palmarès

Cyclo-cross

2009–2010
2nd National Cadet Championships
2010–2011
1st National Cadet Championships
2011–2012
1st World Junior Championships
1st European Junior Championships
1st National Junior Championships
1st Overall UCI Cyclo-cross Junior World Cup
1st Cyklokros Tábor
1st Duinencross Koksijde
1st Cyclo-cross Liévin
1st Grand Prix Adri van der Poel
1st Overall Junior Superprestige
1st Cyclo-cross Zonhoven
1st Bollekescross
1st Cyclo-cross Gavere
1st Superprestige Gieten
1st Superprestige Diegem
1st Vlaamse Aardbeiencross
1st Noordzeecross
Junior Gazet van Antwerpen
1st Grand Prix van Hasselt
1st Grand Prix Rouwmoer
1st Azencross
1st Grand Prix Sven Nys
1st Sluitingsprijs Oostmalle
1st Cyclo-cross Kalmthout (juniors)
2012–2013
1st World Junior Championships
1st European Junior Championships
1st National Junior Championships
1st Overall UCI Cyclo-cross Junior World Cup
1st Cyklokros Tábor
1st Cyklokros Plzeň
1st Duinencross Koksijde
1st Grand Prix Erik De Vlaeminck
1st Memorial Romano Scotti
1st Grand Prix Adri van der Poel
1st Overall Junior Superprestige
1st Cyclo-cross Ruddervoorde
1st Cyclo-cross Zonhoven
1st Bollekescross
1st Cyclo-cross Gavere
1st Superprestige Gieten
1st Superprestige Diegem
1st Vlaamse Aardbeiencross
1st Noordzeecross
Junior bpost bank trophy
1st GP Mario De Clercq
1st Cyclo-cross Koppenberg
1st Grand Prix Sven Nys
1st Sluitingsprijs Oostmalle
1st Cyclo-cross Kalmthout (juniors)
2013–2014
1st National Under-23 Championships
1st Overall UCI Cyclo-cross Under-23 World Cup
1st Cyklokros Plzeň
1st Duinencross Koksijde
1st Grand Prix Erik De Vlaeminck
1st Memorial Romano Scotti
Under-23 Superprestige
1st Cyclo-cross Ruddervoorde
1st Bollekescross
1st Superprestige Gieten
1st Superprestige Diegem
Under-23 bpost bank trophy
1st GP Mario De Clercq
1st Boels Classic Internationale (elite)
2nd European Under-23 Championships
2nd Scheldecross Antwerpen (elite)
2nd Grand Prix De Ster Sint-Niklaas (elite)
3rd World Under-23 Championships
2014–2015
1st World Championships
1st National Championships
World Cup
1st Hoogerheide
1st Overall Superprestige
1st Gieten
1st Diegem
1st Hoogstraten
1st Scheldecross Antwerpen
1st Krawatencross
2015–2016
1st Vlaamse Druivenveldrit Overijse[48]
1st Cyclo-cross Namur[49]
2nd Zilvermeercross[50]
1st Grand Prix Erik De Vlaeminck
1st Cyclo-cross World Cup Lignières-en-Berry[51]

Road

2011
1st National Novice Time Trial Championships
2012
1st Overall Ronde des Vallées
1st Young rider classification
1st Mountains classification Trofeo Karlsberg
2nd Remouchamps–Ferrières–Remouchamps
3rd Grand Prix Bati-Metallo
4th Overall Rothaus Regio-Tour International
6th Overall Tour du Valromey
1st Young rider classification
9th World Junior Road Race Championships
2013
1st World Junior Road Race Championships
1st National Junior Road Race Championships
1st Overall Grand Prix Rüebliland
1st Points classification
1st Stages 1, 2 & 3 (ITT)
1st Overall Ain'Ternational–Rhône Alpes–Valromey Tour
1st Stages 1 & 4
1st Overall Trophée Centre Morbihan
1st Points classification
1st Stage 1
2nd Overall Grand Prix Général Patton
1st Points classification
1st Mountains classification
1st Stage 2
3rd Overall Course de la Paix Juniors
1st Stage 1
2014
Tour Alsace
1st Stage 3
1st Overall Baltic Chain Tour
1st Stage 4
1st Points classification
1st Young rider classification
1st Ronde van Limburg
7th Omloop der Kempen
2015
6th Overall Tour of Belgium

References

  1. 1 2 "Broers Van der Poel worden prof bij BKCP" [Brothers Van der Poel to be pros with BKCP]. Sporza (in Dutch) (Vlaamse Radio- en Televisieomroeporganisatie). 20 September 2013. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
  2. 1 2 3 Brown, Gregor (28 September 2013). "Mathieu van der Poel wins junior road Worlds title". Cycling Weekly (IPC Media). Retrieved 2 November 2013.
  3. 1 2 Bagg, Chris; Vardaros, Christine (28 January 2012). "Mathieu van der Poel Wins First Race of the World Championship in Koksijde". Cyclocross Magazine (PFS). Retrieved 2 November 2013.
  4. ↑ "Mathieu Van Der Poel defends junior world cyclocross title". VeloNews (Competitor Group, Inc.). 2 February 2013. Retrieved 2 November 2013.
  5. 1 2 "Broers Van der Poel beiden kampioen" [Brothers Van der Poel are both champions]. De Gelderlander (in Dutch) (Koninklijke Wegener NV). 13 January 2013. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
  6. ↑ "Le petit-fils de Raymond Poulidor champion du monde juniors" [The grandson of Raymond Poulidor is junior world champion]. RFI.fr (in French) (Radio France Internationale). 28 September 2013. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
  7. ↑ "1957–1966: Anquetil 5–0 Poulidor". BBC Sport (BBC). 29 June 2005. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
  8. ↑ Hazen, Bart; Mack, Jamie (10 January 2010). "Erik Kramer and David van der Poel Dutch National Champions in the Youth Categories". Cyclocross Magazine (PFS). Retrieved 3 November 2013.
  9. ↑ "Van Aert victorious in Junior race". Cyclingnews.com (Future plc). 9 October 2011. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
  10. ↑ "Van der Poel wins Dutch junior 'cross title". Cyclingnews.com (Future plc). 8 January 2012. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
  11. ↑ "Van der Poel takes junior title". Cyclingnews.com (Future plc). 6 November 2011. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
  12. ↑ Seaton, Dan (28 January 2012). "Mathieu van der Poel takes worlds Junior CX title". VeloNews (Competitor Group, Inc.). Retrieved 3 November 2013.
  13. ↑ Gachet, Frédéric (12 August 2012). "Ronde des Vallées à Hémonstoir — Et. 3: Classements" [Ronde des Vallées à Hémonstoir — Stage 3 Classification]. Directvelo (in French) (Association Le Peloton). Retrieved 3 November 2013.
  14. ↑ "Final Results / Résultats finaux: Road Race Men Juniors / Course en ligne Hommes Junior" (PDF). Sport Result. Tissot Timing. 23 September 2012. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
  15. ↑ Mignot, Alexandre (25 February 2013). "Van der Poel termine la saison invaincu!" [Van der Poel finished the season undefeated!]. Cyclism'Actu (in French) (Swar Agency SPRLS). Retrieved 3 November 2013.
  16. ↑ "Van der Poel repeats as European junior champion". Cyclingnews.com (Future plc). 3 November 2012. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
  17. ↑ Weislo, Laura (4 February 2013). "Dutch top medal count at Louisville 'cross Worlds". Cyclingnews.com (Future plc). Retrieved 3 November 2013. Aside from Marianne Vos's sixth rainbow jersey in the women's race, the Dutch were top two in the juniors with Mathieu van der Poel and Martijn Budding, won the U23s thanks to a tenacious ride by Mike Teunissen, and Lars van der Haar was third in the elites.
  18. ↑ Gachet, Nicolas (2 May 2013). "Course de la Paix Juniors — Et. 1: Classements" [Course de la Paix Juniors — Stage 1 Classification]. Directvelo (in French) (Association Le Peloton). Retrieved 3 November 2013.
  19. ↑ "The yellow Pedersen has closed up the Course de la Paix winning". Závod míru juniorů (CK Slavoj Terezín). 10 May 2013. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
  20. 1 2 "UCI Juniors Nations Cup: The Danish increase lead". UCI.ch (Union Cycliste Internationale). 12 July 2013. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
  21. 1 2 "Wëntger Gemengeblad N°24" [Wincrange Municipal Bulletin No. 24] (PDF). Wincrange.lu (in Luxembourgish). Administration Communale de Wincrange. September 2013. p. 21. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
  22. ↑ Gachet, Nicolas (11 July 2013). "Ain'Ternational Valromey Tour — Et. 1: Classements" [Ain'Ternational Valromey Tour — Stage 1 Classification]. Directvelo (in French) (Association Le Peloton). Retrieved 3 November 2013.
  23. ↑ "Mathieu Van der Poel wint Tour du Valromey" [Mathieu Van der Poel wins Tour du Valromey]. BN DeStem (in Dutch) (Koninklijke Wegener NV). 14 July 2013. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
  24. ↑ Gachet, Frédéric (14 July 2013). "Ain'Ternational Valromey Tour — Et. 4: Classements" [Ain'Ternational Valromey Tour — Stage 4 Classification]. Directvelo (in French) (Association Le Peloton). Retrieved 3 November 2013.
  25. ↑ "Welten beste nieuweling in Chaam" [Welten best newcomer in Chaam]. Brabants Dagblad (in Dutch) (Koninklijke Wegener NV). 24 July 2013. Retrieved 3 November 2013. Bij de junioren ging de titel naar Mathieu van der Poel, de zoon van oud-prof Adrie van der Poel. [In the juniors, the title went to Mathieu van der Poel, the son of former professional Adrie van der Poel.]
  26. 1 2 "UCI Juniors Nations Cup: France takes the lead in Brittany". UCI.ch (Union Cycliste Internationale). 7 August 2013. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
  27. 1 2 3 4 5 "Holländer Mathieu van der Poel überlegener Sieger — GP Rüebliland ging in Brugg zu Ende" [Dutchman Mathieu van der Poel, the clear winner — GP Rüebliland went to Brugg to end]. Radsport.ch (in German) (Elite Timing GmbH). 2 September 2013. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
  28. ↑ Brown, Gregor (28 September 2013). "Logan Owen came close, but picked "the wrong moment to go"". VeloNews (Competitor Group, Inc.). Retrieved 3 November 2013. I knew he'd [Van der Poel] be a favorite coming into the day. He has a really good kick on that steep climb.
  29. ↑ Stokes, Shane (24 September 2013). "Decraene earns junior title for Belgium". VeloNation (VeloNation LLC). Retrieved 3 November 2013.
  30. ↑ "Mathieu van der Poel wins junior men's road race title". Sky Sports (BSkyB). 28 September 2013. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
  31. ↑ Farrand, Stephen (28 September 2013). "Van der Poel wins junior men's world title". Cyclingnews.com (Future plc). Retrieved 3 November 2013.
  32. ↑ Atkins, Ben (28 September 2013). "Mathieu van der Poel confirms cross talent to take junior road rainbow". VeloNation (VeloNation LLC). Retrieved 3 November 2013.
  33. ↑ Case, Chris (2 February 2013). "Mathieu Van Der Poel v. Logan Owen: A tale of two juniors whose ending has yet to be written". VeloNews (Competitor Group, Inc.). Retrieved 3 November 2013.
  34. ↑ Eeckhaut, Dimitri (13 October 2013). "Mathieu van der Poel meteen beste belofte in Ronse" [Mathieu van der Poel immediately best promise in Ronse]. Het Laatste Nieuws (in Dutch) (De Persgroep Nederland). Retrieved 3 November 2013.
  35. ↑ "Vanthourenhout wins World Cup in Valkenburg". Cyclingnews.com (Future plc). 20 October 2013. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
  36. ↑ "Mathieu van der Poel prevails in Tabor World Cup". Cyclingnews.com (Future plc). 26 October 2013. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
  37. ↑ Hymas, Peter (27 October 2013). "Van der Poel quickly transitions to top of U23 cyclo-cross". Cyclingnews.com (Future plc). Retrieved 3 November 2013.
  38. ↑ "Van der Poel victorious in first Superprestige round". Cyclingnews.com (Future plc). 27 October 2013. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
  39. ↑ "Van der Poel kan kunststukje niet herhalen bij EK beloften" [Van der Poel can not repeat feat at European Championships for Prospects]. Algemeen Dagblad (in Dutch) (AD NieuwsMedia). Algemeen Nederlands Persbureau. 3 November 2013. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
  40. ↑ Moore, Kyle (8 December 2013). "Young crossers Van der Poel and Van Aert confirming talent". VeloNation (VeloNation LLC). Retrieved 8 December 2013.
  41. ↑ "Albert triumphs at Scheldecross". Cyclingnews.com (Future plc). 7 December 2013. Retrieved 8 December 2013.
  42. ↑ Moore, Kyle (7 December 2013). "Albert triumphs in Scheldecross at Antwerp in BKCP sweep". VeloNation (VeloNation LLC). Retrieved 8 December 2013.
  43. ↑ "Fotofinish bezorgt Niels Albert zege tegen Mathieu Van der Poel" [Photo finish gives Niels Albert win against Mathieu Van der Poel]. Sportwereld–Het Nieuwsblad (in Dutch) (Corelio). 18 December 2013. Retrieved 29 December 2013.
  44. ↑ "Mathieu van der Poel wins Superprestige Diegem". Cyclingnews.com (Future plc). 29 December 2013. Retrieved 29 December 2013.
  45. ↑ "Van Aert wins GP Sven Nys U23". Cyclingnews.com (Future plc). 1 January 2014. Retrieved 5 January 2014.
  46. ↑ "Van der Poel powers to World Cup victory in Rome". Cyclingnews.com (Future plc). 5 January 2014. Retrieved 5 January 2014.
  47. ↑ "Mathieu van der Poel wins Boels Classic Internationale Cyclo-cross Heerlen". Cyclingnews.com (Future plc). 16 February 2014. Retrieved 25 May 2014.
  48. ↑ Decaluwé, Brecht (6 December 2015). "Van der Poel dominates the Overijse Vlaamse Druivencross". cyclingnews.com. Retrieved 11 December 2015.
  49. ↑ Decaluwé, Brecht (20 December 2015). "Van der Poel takes the win in Namur". cyclingnews.com. Retrieved 24 December 2015.
  50. ↑ "Van Aert dominates sandy Zilvermeercross in Mol". cyclingnews.com. 12 December 2015. Retrieved 13 December 2015.
  51. ↑ Decaluwé, Brecht (17 January 2016). "Van der Poel solos to World Cup win". cyclingnews.com. Retrieved 19 January 2016.

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