Van der Poel looks back on Tour disappointment: “I already had a love-hate relationship with the Tour”

Van der Poel grew up on a cyclocross bike. From a young age, the sport was part of daily life thanks to his father Adrie, himself a former world champion. After cyclocross, he shifted his focus to the road and mountain biking as well, but in that final discipline it has proven harder for the 31-year-old superstar to rack up the same kind of success. He explained why.

“To start with, road bikes and cyclocross bikes are very similar,” Van der Poel said. “A mountain bike is completely different — and it’s not something I grew up with. Of course, the courses are also really difficult; they’re becoming more and more technical. You have to fight against the best mountain bikers, who are much lighter than I am. That makes it very hard to compete. But from my first mountain bike races, I fell in love with it.”

In Tokyo, Van der Poel hoped to become Olympic champion, but that dream did not come true. His attempt at the World Championships last autumn also ended in disappointment. Still, the Dutchman knows he is up against true featherweights. “They’re about 10 kilos lighter than me. That makes it difficult to follow them uphill — but also downhill. They were born for it. I was a crosser, and that makes mountain biking tough.”

Even so, Van der Poel can make up a lot with pure power. Few riders can punch uphill the way the Dutchman can — just think back to those striking scenes from the Benidorm cyclocross race in 2024. But it is not his only weapon. Van der Poel also recovers exceptionally well, something we have seen time and again. He often needs very little rest to get back to top form.

A key factor behind that recovery ability is heart rate variability — and, according to Van der Poel, he scores far above the norm. “I’m very high in HRV,” he laughed. “I’ve talked about it with friends and it will be genetic, but fitness is also important. It’s definitely something that makes me stronger and helps me recover better. HRV and resting heart rate are the most important things in that.”

That recovery ability also helps Van der Poel in three-week races. In 2025, he rode the Tour de France, and there he had many successes. He won the second stage, wore the yellow for several days and entertained all viewers for two weeks with aggressive course behavior. However, pneumonia meant he had to kiss the Tour goodbye on the final rest day.

“That wasn’t very nice,” said the Alpecin–Premier Tech leader, who had already seen teammate Jasper Philipsen forced out after a heavy crash. “I already had a love-hate relationship with the Tour de France. It wasn’t always very successful, but this year it was again. But then I got sick — that was a bitter pill to swallow. I was really motivated to finish it off in a nice way, especially with the final stage that would have suited me.”

That love-hate relationship does not apply to spring. The Classics are Van der Poel’s favourite races — but one stands out above all. “The Tour of Flanders. The first time I rode it, I loved it. It suits me, the atmosphere is insane. The Classics are the races I can win, and they were the races I watched as a kid. To win there now is something unique.”

Van der Poel hopes he can keep enjoying those spring victories for a long time. “Races like these always stay special. They say you never get used to winning — I think you get used to it a little, but not in those kinds of races. The same goes for Sanremo, which is the hardest one-day race to win. It’s a shame it’s only one moment, but I’m trying to enjoy it more. A day will come when I won’t be cycling anymore, so I’m making the most of it.”

In the Classics, Wout van Aert will once again be one of the main rivals. The rivalry is a healthy one, and Van der Poel embraces it. “It motivates me. It’s always good to have a competitor who lifts you to a new level and makes you realise you have to do everything right to beat him at the weekend. It has lifted me — and him as well — to the level we’re at now.”