Rider Profile
Mathieu van der Poel
Alpecin-Deceuninck

Personal Details:
Teams history:
- 2025 - Alpecin-Deceuninck
- 2024 - Alpecin-Deceuninck
- 2023 - Alpecin-Deceuninck
- 2022 - Alpecin-Deceuninck
- 2021 - Alpecin-Fenix
- 2020 - Alpecin-Fenix
- 2019 - Corendon-Circus
- 2017 - Beobank-Corendon
- 2016 - Beobank-Corendon
Biography:
Mathieu van der Poel was born in Kapellen on January 19, 1995, son of Adrie van der Poel and grandson of Raymond Poulidor.
Van der Poel’s pedigree first translated into underage success on the cyclocross circuit, though he also served notice of his ability on the road with gold in the junior road race at the 2013 World Championships in Florence.
In Tabor in 2015, Van der Poel claimed the first of his multiple elite cyclocross world titles. Together with his contemporary Wout van Aert of Belgium, he would dominate the cyclocross scene and it was only a matter of time before their rivalry extended to the road.
In his early years at senior level, Van der Poel raced sparingly but promisingly on the road, winning the Dutch title in 2018 and placing second in that year’s European Championships. The breakthrough came the following spring, when Van der Poel sampled the Classics for the first time and enjoyed immediate success by winning Dwars door Vlaanderen and then scoring a remarkable comeback victory at Amstel Gold Race.
In the pandemic-interrupted 2020 season, Van der Poel beat Van Aert in a two-up sprint to win a dramatic edition of the Tour of Flanders, and he claimed an astounding victory ahead of a deep field at the 2021 Strade Bianche.
The 2021 road campaign saw a remarkable Tour de France debut in which Van der Poel won stage 2 at Mur de Bretagne and spent six days in the yellow jersey. Despite a nagging back injury, the Alpecin-Deceuninck rider added another Tour of Flanders and Dwars door Vlaanderen in 2022, when he also won the opening stage of the Giro d’Italia in Visegrad.
A rapid finisher, a solid time triallist and often overwhelming on punchy climbs, Van der Poel has also won medals in both the Mountain Bike and Gravel World Championships, taking the bronze medal in cross-ccountry MTB in 2018 and dominating gravel in Belgium for the gold in 2024. Few riders in the history of cycling have been as versatile.
Between 2023 and early 2025, he won three consecutive cyclocross world titles, bringing his total as an elite rider to a seven. On the road, 2023 was prolific for the Dutchman as he won Milan-San Remo, Paris-Roubaix and the road world championship title.
In 2024, he made history by winning both the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix in the same year for only the 13th time in history. His quest for an Olympic Games medal fell short, however, as he crashed out of the cross-country MTB event and finished 12 in the road race. But he was back on top a week later with the gravel championship at Worlds.
His seventh cyclocross world title in 2025 matched matched Eric De Vlaeminck's historic number of seven elite men's world titles.
Key Results - Road
2024
🥇 Paris-Roubiax
🥇 Tour of Flanders
🥇 E3 Saxo Classic
🥇 National championship, time trial
🥈 Gent-Wevelgem
🥉 Liège-Bastogne-Liège
2023
🥇 Milan-San Remo
🥇 Paris-Roubaix
🥇 World Championships road race
🥈 Tour of Flanders
🥈 E3 Saxo Classic
2022
🥇 Tour of Flanders
🥇 Dwars door Vlaanderen
🥇 One stage Giro d'Italia
🥇 GP de Wallonie
🥈 Two stages Giro d'Italia
🥉 One stage Giro d'Italia
🥉 Milan-San Remo
2021
🥇 Strade Bianche
🥇 One stage Tour de France
🥇 Two stages Tirreno-Adriatico
🥇 Two stages Tour de Suisse
🥈 Tour of Flanders
🥉 Points classification Tirreno-Adrriatico
🥉 E3 Saxo Classic
🥉 Paris-Roubaix
2020
🥇 Tour of Flanders
🥇 Dutch National Championship road race
🥈 De Brabantse Pijl
Key Results - Cyclocross
🥇 World Champion 2015, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2023, 2024, 2025
🥇 European Champion 2017, 2018, 2019
🥇 Dutch National Champion 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 2020
Key Results - Mountain Bike
🥇 Dutch National Champion, 2018
🥇 European Champion, 2019
🥇 World Cup XCO Overall, 2018
Key Results - Gravel
🥇 UCI World Championships, Belgium, 2024
🥉 UCI World Championships, Italy, 2022
Related Articles

'I've done it seven times, so he can do it once' – Peter Sagan backs Mathieu van der Poel for Tour de France green jersey battle
By Dani Ostanek published
News Record points classification winner says Jonathan Milan is the other main challenger but 'there's still a long way to go'

'We had to really fight' – Mathieu van der Poel takes back yellow jersey from Tadej Pogačar by just one second at the Tour de France
By Kirsten Frattini published
News 'It will probably only be for one day, but it's really nice to wear it again' says Alpecin-Deceuninck rider after gruelling breakaway performance into Vire Normandie

'Don't start crazy, you'll catch me' – Tadej Pogačar jokes with Mathieu van der Poel ahead of Tour de France time trial
By Dani Ostanek published
News 'That's my goal tomorrow. I don't care if I have to stop halfway' Dutchman responds following the pair's battle over stage 4 victory

Yellow jersey aside, what kit is Mathieu van der Poel using at the Tour de France?
By Tom Wieckowski published
We dive into the Dutchman's kit list, including his Abus helmet, Shimano shoes and special edition Oakley sunglasses

Why are Tadej Pogačar and Mathieu van der Poel racing the Tour de France in $300k watches, and aren’t they going to break them?
By Will Jones published
Are they actually real, working watches or just ornamental props?

'It's a day for Van der Poel, Van Aert and of course Tadej' – Will Pogačar be in yellow by the end of Tour de France stage 2?
By James Moultrie published
News Punchy final in Boulogne-sur-Mer brings GC battle with Vingegaard back in play for a second day

'My first Tour de France, my first stage and what a win!' - Kaden Groves and Mathieu van der Poel celebrate as Alpecin-Deceuninck hit Tour de France jackpot
By Stephen Farrand published
News Australian sprinter plays key role in split and Jasper Philipsen lead-out

'This partnership isn’t about luxury' – Mathieu van der Poel on the defensive following backlash over deal with private jet charter company
By Dani Ostanek published
News The average private jet flight in 2023 emitted two-thirds of the average EU citizen's total yearly emissions

'A lot of chances' – Mathieu van der Poel and Jasper Philipsen reunite to target success on multiple fronts during Tour de France's opening week
By Stephen Farrand published
News 'Yellow is an objective' says Philipsen, while Van der Poel rules himself out of green jersey contention, instead targeting Classics-style hilly stages
Blogs
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Nathan Haas blog: Has the UCI done enough for gravel pros at the Gravel World Championships?
Sponsored gravel riders appear to be losing interest in the rainbow jersey battle -
Lauren De Crescenzo and her tough decision to miss UCI Gravel World Championships
In her own words, the gravel star explains the complex picture of the Gravel World Championships for the US team -
A proper women's race – Historic day in Emporia at Unbound Gravel
Extended gaps around women's start end with unprecedented sprint finish though 'it’s still imperfect, but it’s the best we can do for now' -
Road prep and adapting to new rules as Life Time Grand Prix begins at Fuego XL mountain bike event
Lauren De Crescenzo uses The Growler for confidence boost ride ahead of prestigious off-road series -
'Untapped gold' in store for inaugural RADL GRVL in South Australia
Nathan Haas calls gravel course 'raw, fast, exciting' after pre-ride with co-founder Valtteri Bottas