Roxanne Bertels on life with Mathieu van der Poel: 'You see how much he sacrifices'

Mathieu van der Poel has been one of the biggest stars in cycling for years, and for most of his career he's had his partner Roxanne Bertels by his side. The couple have been together for eight years: the Belgian is an important pillar of support for the former world champion. On the podcast Superhlth, she talks about life with a top athlete.

Looking after Van der Poel is a big part of Bertels' life. "It's really nice to take care of him, and it's also my job. Over the years I've come to love the sporty lifestyle just as much as he has, just not at a professional level." It's a good thing, then, that she describes herself as a caring person. "That's necessary when you're in a relationship with someone who's a professional athlete."

Bertels is often at the races, there to greet the Dutchman after the finish. But she's also hugely important to the Alpecin-Premier Tech team leader at home. What's it like living with such a superstar? "It's a privilege, it's really special. But I see how hard he works. I see, from the front row, how much he sacrifices for it, and how much he puts into it. It's really impressive."

Still, it isn't always easy. Especially during the most important moments of the season. "I get a yellow spike during the Classics on my Whoop, which means my stress levels are high," she laughs. "Everything has to be right then, and you want him to be at his very best. It automatically puts a bit of pressure on me too: he has to train well, eat well, sleep well." Last year, she shared via her Whoop data how she experienced the finale of Milan-Sanremo.

Bertels is the daughter of Belgian water skier and powerboat racer Danny Bertels, and met Van der Poel in Finland in 2018. She was there organising a work trip for Porsche Centre Antwerp. "I didn't really know who he was. I knew he was a cyclist, but I had no idea about the cycling world at all. But I think it was good to start with a clean slate, without having any opinion of him."

Van der Poel and Bertels learn a lot from each other. Thanks to the eight-time cyclo-cross world champion, she's become more active in sport herself, but differences remain. "I wish I was as driven as he is. He gives everything for everything in life. I give up more quickly, and I wish that wasn't the case. I find it more stressful when I have to exercise with others, and I wish it were different."

Bertels has since taken up running with real enthusiasm, and is also constantly focused on her health. Pilates, strength training, saunas, ice baths and diet: thanks to Van der Poel, she's completely transformed. "The 33-year-old Roxanne would always beat the 25-year-old Roxanne, at everything." That includes cycling: a hobby she's only picked up recently.

She first appeared on a road bike at the end of 2025. "I said I'd never love cycling, but I take that back. I sort of drifted into it, because I'd picked up a minor hip injury in August. The doctor said I'd better not run for a bit, so I thought I'd give it a try. My first ride wasn't much fun, but after that it was actually pretty cool."

It's not the only thing Van der Poel has got her into. In everything she does, she's become much healthier, thanks to her boyfriend. "Mathieu has a really good outlook on what's good for you when it comes to sport. He always gives me good advice, whether it's about running or anything else to do with health."

Author: Martijn Polder