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 GoogleA champion like Mathieu van der Poel brings joy to many. His racing style is thrilling, and his class is undeniable. You’d think that with his Flemish roots, the Belgians would embrace him — but instead, they often see the Dutchman as a major rival. That leads to nasty incidents, like during the E3 Saxo Classic. And according to his teammates, those do incidents do affect Van der Poel.
ADVERTISEMENT
Gianni Vermeersch has been a key lieutenant to Van der Poel for years. “I’ve been racing with Mathieu since we were juniors,” he told Het Nieuwsblad. “We’ve almost always been on the same teams. Since 2021, that has been Alpecin. In my view, Mathieu hasn’t changed a bit. He’s still smiling, always cracking jokes, creating a great atmosphere. On the team bus, he’s one of the mood-setters. His huge list of achievements hasn’t changed him — he’s still got both feet firmly on the ground. He doesn’t behave like a diva. He’s really one of the guys, and he feels like part of the group.”
Jonas Rickaert often sacrifices himself for his team leader, although he won’t be able to on Sunday — he won’t be racing the Tour of Flanders. “But it’s still incredibly special to ride for someone like Mathieu van der Poel. To have a world-class rider like that in your team — that’s what makes cycling really meaningful for me. Of course, as a little kid, you dream of winning a monument like the Tour of Flanders yourself. Or other big races.”
Read more below the photo!
"I know it affects Mathieu"
The three-time winner of Flanders’ Finest isn’t always greeted with loud cheers in the region. Sometimes there’s booing, but sometimes it's much worse than that: during the E3 Saxo Classic, the Alpecin-Deceuninck rider was spat on, and in cyclo-cross, he’s often the target of beer — or even urine — showers. “We never really talk about it,” says Vermeersch, “but I know it affects Mathieu.” He thinks that behavior is appalling.
“When we rode up to the podium before the start, there was a lot of booing,” the 32-year-old Fleming recalls. “I was ashamed of my own region where I grew up, when really I wanted to feel proud that the race had returned to Bruges. Mathieu said it was a shame the crowd reacted that way. A beautiful moment like the start ends up being overshadowed. I even took it personally — I couldn’t believe it was happening. I was deeply ashamed.”
Read more below the photo!
Van der Poel only getting better: "Like it's nothing"
The start will once again take place in Bruges this Sunday. As a co-record holder and honorary Flemish rider, his teammate hopes Van der Poel will get the applause he deserves this time. “I hope people behave themselves. The best thing would be to call those individuals out on their behavior, but it’s often herd mentality. What Mathieu has accomplished by now is even more impressive than before. I hope the crowd recognizes that and uses some common sense.”
By now, Van der Poel has gained plenty of experience dealing with 'fans'... but age hasn’t affected his performance — in fact, he’s only getting better. “Mathieu turned 30 this January,” Rickaert points out. “But he’s proving to be an absolute super talent. You can see it again this spring. Everything he touches seems like play — like it's nothing to him. But we all know from experience, it’s not. Mathieu has to work hard for it. Even more than before.”
Read also
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
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
Track World Championships day 2: A golden day for Team GB, Levreysen goes 2 for 2, and Kopecky eliminates the competition
Rumours, speculation and guesswork: 2027 Tour de France route will be revealed live on October 22 in Paris
Vollering adds the Women’s European Championships road race jersey to her rainbow wardrobe
Latest Cycling News
Tadej Pogacar told the New York Times just how bad his Vuelta crash was: 'I wasn’t a pleasant person to be around'
Modern Adventure just keeps growing: Hincapie's team strengthen 2027 roster with 4 great signings
Tadej Pogačar on Mathieu van der Poel and Tom Boonen, but also kiwi/pineapple, visualisation and the Gravel World Championships
Thibau Nys is hard on himself despite an incredible Koppenbergcross: ‘Then you're not going to make it’
Lucinda Brand couldn’t believe the pace of the Koppenbergcross: 'This has never happened before'
Popular Cycling News
Tadej Pogačar on Mathieu van der Poel and Tom Boonen, but also kiwi/pineapple, visualisation and the Gravel World Championships
Modern Adventure just keeps growing: Hincapie's team strengthen 2027 roster with 4 great signings
Greg LeMond accuses Lance Armstrong of paying the UCI : 'Very bitter taste in my mouth'
UAE Emirates-XRG pulled out all the stops to bag 'exceptional climber' as future support for Pogačar
Tadej Pogacar told the New York Times just how bad his Vuelta crash was: 'I wasn’t a pleasant person to be around'
Latest Comments
- I don’t understand how you can break vertebrae and not feel much pain there. Does that mean the collarbone injury was just more noticeable, or can spinal fractures sometimes cause very little pain? Hope he’s fully healed soon.sprocketspiny01-11-2026
- The recovery-score details are interesting, but they’re not a substitute for proper medical advice. Hopefully the team are keeping a close eye on him and letting the scans—not the urge to train—set the timetable.jennifer1901-11-2026
- Pogacar’s point about the safety gap between the Tour and smaller races is spot on. Riders are going faster than ever, yet some finishes still have awkward turns and road furniture right in the finale. Organisers need to take this seriously.gearguru3301-11-2026
- Two extra vertebrae fractures is a frightening discovery, especially after the concussion and collarbone injury. Glad he’s recovering, but it shows why coming back too soon would be a terrible risk.breakawaybikerd01-11-2026
- The team says it wants answers “as quickly as possible”, but speed shouldn’t come at the expense of a thorough investigation. Since Picnic PostNL commissioned it, will the full report be published? The team’s transparency will matter as much as who leads the inquiry.cyclechamp4530-10-2026
- How can current riders give evidence without their comments being traced back to them? That seems especially important in a case about fear.raceready730-10-2026
- Olfers’ experience with the Rasmussen case is relevant: that inquiry also scrutinised the team’s decisions, not just the rider’s. Let’s hope this one looks closely at management and working conditions too.patriciaw30-10-2026
- An independent investigation is the right step, but it needs to be genuinely independent in practice. With 71 people already speaking to NOS and Thijs Zonneveld, Verinorm has a substantial starting point. I hope people can give evidence confidentially and the findings are made public.breakawaybikerd30-10-2026
- - I’m still figuring out the race categories: would a2 event like Battenkill attract the same teams and TV coverage as a WorldTour race?jennifer1929-10-2026
- - Seeing McNulty, Simmons and Jorgenson race on home roads would be a real boost. Hope this becomes more than just talk.raceready729-10-2026