From world champion to world champion: this is what Van der Poel said to World Champion successor Pogacar during little chat
Cycling
Follow IDL Pro Cycling on Google
Stay up to date with the best cycling news by making us a preferred source on Google.
Follow us on Google"I think it is wonderful that the best rider is a world champion, and that is now Tadej Pogacar," was signed by Mathieu van der Poel after the World Cycling Championships. The Dutchman eventually took the bronze medal, something he was more than happy with afterward. "Because I know what I did for this World Championship," he told the press conference at the finish.
ADVERTISEMENT
He saw him go a hundred kilometers from the finish. Van der Poel was cycling near Remco Evenepoel and together they agreed it was a suicide attempt. "We thought he blew his chances; we thought it was a panic attack," Van der Poel stated. But the Dutchman did not see him again until after the finish line, where they had a little chat. "What I told him there? That he's crazy," smiled the Glasgow world champion.
Let's go back to about 130 kilometers from the end. Jay Vine set the pace and got nine riders from big countries with him. Italy, Belgium, France, and Slovenia were all with him, except for the Netherlands, which was already causing panic on social media. "The others came to ask me if we should close the gap, but I wanted to play poker. It wasn't a good situation for the other countries, and I wanted to make them nervous too. When Pogacar went, I thought that plan succeeded. It was a good choice by us," Van der Poel looked back on that tense race situation.
Read more below the photo!
Van der Poel: "It's hard to describe how strong Pogacar is"
"I thought Pogacar blew his chance for the rainbow jersey with that attack, to be honest," Van der Poel takes us to a hundred kilometers from the finish. "Especially when Belgium started chasing with the whole team. It wasn't the smartest move, but it worked for him. He showed how strong he is. I told him he's great, I've never seen anything like it. We know he is exceptional, and he showed that again."
"It's hard to describe how strong he is," the Dutchman repeated moments later at his press conference. "If you ask him yourself, I'm sure he will also say this was not his plan. I didn't think he would make it, especially because Belgium took control. But he proved otherwise. I wanted to save energy because that's the key to a good World Championship. I also really thought they were going to close the gap."
"I had to stay calm and use my strength when I had to. I think I did that well. When we got to half a minute at twenty kilometers from the line, I thought maybe he was at his wits' end, but then he kept riding away, so there wasn't much more to add to that," Van der Poel said.
Read more below the photo!
Van der Poel: "Wasn't here to prove others wrong"
Conclusion: beyond positive. "I think I participated in one of my best races ever; I can only be happy about that. That's why I was keen on that medal; I had suffered too much for that. I wanted that bronze because I had to control everything and was being watched. I didn't discover anything about myself I didn't already know."
"It's positive that I was among the best climbers, but this was also a period to lose some weight. I know I can do well uphill if I put myself up to it. But I don't want to lose that weight in the spring; I don't want to give up the Tour de Roubaix to win Liège, for example," the Dutchman restated his ambitions for the coming years.
"I prepared well for this day and am thrilled with this bronze medal. One rider was exceptionally strong, but I was competing for the world title without him. This was also really a goal for me, so I'm delighted with how it went, and I have a nice reward," Van der Poel summed up.
And so, after 14 months, the rainbow jersey disappears from the closet with his road cycling clothes. "I enjoyed my time in the rainbow jersey. They say there can be a curse on it, but I never felt that. I will never forget this year," Van der Poel concluded the press conference in Zurich with beautiful and suitable words.
Bram van der PloegEditor-in-chief
Bram van der Ploeg (35) is the proud founder of In de Leiderstrui, IDL Pro Cycling's parent site, launched in 2018. Finally, he could create stories about the sport he had followed since childhood. He is the editor-in-chief on paper, but prefers to be with his recorder next to a rider, a team bus, or in the mud at a cyclocross race. Every year, from February to the end of May, Bram follows the entire Italian cycling season, from the Trofeo Laigueglia to the Giro d'Italia, with the grand finale in October in Lombardy. During that time, he lives in Tuscany, where he has since come to call Italy his 'home'.
IDL-productions
Celia Gery won the European cyclocross championship while awaiting surgery: 'It'll be a new beginning'
Dutch team coach De Knegt annoyed by European Cyclocross Championships dispute: "A bit of a let down"
Glasgow set to shine as World Cup demand outstrips expectations and Mason eyes first home cyclocross race
Pogačar, Vingegaard and Van Aert went faster again in 2026... except when they didn't
Team GB dominate, China on the rise, Lavreysen the best ever? Five takeaways from the 2026 Track World Championships
Latest Cycling News
Eddie Dunbar wins Vuelta stage as Pinarello-Q36.5 put three riders in top five and Roglič attacks
Tom Pidcock ends 2026 fifth in the world, with Ciccone and Hayter arriving at Pinarello for 2027
Picnic PostNL's WorldTour uncertainty has five rival teams, and Tom Pidcock, watching the UCI closely
Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado's injury isn't as bad as feared, but she may not line up for a while
TotalEnergies rescued from collapse, but rider recruitment remains a problem before 27th Tour de France appearance
Popular Cycling News
Sven Nys spoke with Lucinda Brand straight after European Championship drama: 'Is that enough to ultimately relegate someone'
Fears of serious injury to Alvarado, bronze medalist, after the European Cyclocross Championships
Disqualified Schreiber skips European Championship podium: 'I’m very grateful that she said that'
Picnic PostNL's WorldTour uncertainty has five rival teams, and Tom Pidcock, watching the UCI closely
Schreiber slams disrespectful European cyclocross championship judges: 'They didn’t even let me finish speaking'
Latest Comments
- Eight riders told to go for stages, and nobody gets one—hard to know what the plan was there. It’ll be interesting to see whether they pick a clear leader next time.bikebuffj10-11-2026
- Was Bernal’s 20th place really their best GC result? I thought he might have finished higher. Either way, it sounds like a rough Tour for the whole team.gearguru3310-11-2026
- Five days in breaks with no stage win is a painful stat. The team had chances, but they need to turn those opportunities into results.julien10-11-2026
- The Onley Vuelta example makes sense: a team with someone to rally around often looks much more cohesive. Hopefully INEOS can build on that rather than expecting a quick return to the Sky years.cadencekingm10-11-2026
- Thomas is right about the ambiguity. Eight riders all chasing stages can end up pulling in different directions, even if nobody’s deliberately working against anyone. They need a clearer plan once the GC leaders are out.robert6510-11-2026
- What a mess. The report makes it sound as though nobody properly explained the decision, and that’s hard to defend.jennifer1910-11-2026
- I’m still learning the rules: does moving left in a sprint automatically bring a penalty, or does it depend on whether the other rider is blocked? It sounds like Brand wasn’t impeded here.patriciaw10-11-2026
- A final decision still needs a proper explanation. If the federation’s complaint goes nowhere, I hope the officials at least review how they handled the riders afterwards.michael5410-11-2026
- Fair play to Lucinda for saying Marie had won fair and square. That kind of sportsmanship matters, especially after such a controversial decision.raceready710-11-2026
- Schreiber beat Brand on the road, so the jury needed to explain clearly why that slight deviation warranted relegation. Being cut off before she could give her account sounds appalling.lindae10-11-2026