After winning bronze at the World Championships, Mathieu van der Poel honours his grandfather Raymond Poulidor with a special beer

Going into the race, Mathieu van der Poel kept a low profile regarding his ambitions for the World Championships. The tough course was supposed to favor climbers, but reality turned out quite differently. After an incredible race, the Dutch rider finished in an impressive third place. Afterward, we saw a special “Allez Pou-Pou” beer pop up on his Instagram.

Climbers like Isaac Del Toro, Paul Seixas, and Remco Evenepoel: on paper, those were the big favourites for the grueling World Championships in Montreal. Former world champion Van der Poel therefore decided to keep expectations in check beforehand, but anyone who has ever seen the Dutchman race...

He knows that there’s actually always a chance. MVDP —as we’ve come to expect from him, of course—launched an attack very early on, and in doing so, he remained very much in contention for the podium. Or as journalist Thijs Zonneveld put it: “With 100 kilometers to go, there wasn’t a single team left that was willing or able to control the race. Van der Poel sensed that perfectly.”

The Dutch analyst added: “I think, of all the riders in the men’s peloton, he’s the best at sensing that and knowing when that moment is. On this tough course, he was able to dictate the pace of the race. That’s incredible.”

So, nothing but praise, while Van der Poel calmly shared his thoughts afterward. “I raced purely on instinct today, as I like to do. And I think I rode a really great race. I was always ahead of every breakaway and I felt good—actually, pretty much in control—and I was just hoping for a little luck with the chasing group.”

In the end, Van der Poel had to settle for the bronze medal, and he shared his thoughts on Instagram afterward. No long story about the medal—no, just a photo of a “Grandpa Poulidor” beer. On the back of the beer bottle it says:“Bière qui roule n’amasse pas mousse!” Which translates to: “A beer that rolls doesn’t collect foam.”

The label also indicates that this beer was brewed especially for Raymond “Pou-Pou” Poulidor.