Mathieu van der Poel is a Dutch professional cyclist born on January 19, 1995, in Kapellen, Belgium, known for his exceptional versatility across multiple cycling disciplines including cyclo-cross, road racing, mountain biking, and gravel.
He rides for the UCI WorldTeam Alpecin–Deceuninck and comes from a prominent cycling family, with his father Adrie van der Poel being a former professional cyclist and 1996 cyclo-cross world champion, and his maternal grandfather Raymond Poulidor a legendary French rider who achieved multiple Tour de France podiums.
Growing up immersed in the sport, van der Poel initially dabbled in football but shifted focus to cycling, debuting in cyclo-cross as a novice and quickly rising through the ranks with dominant performances.
Siblings
Mathieu has an older brother named David van der Poel, who is also a professional cyclist specializing in cyclo-cross and road racing, having won the 2013 Dutch Under-23 cyclo-cross national championships and a stage at the Tour Alsace in 2018.
David has competed at a high level but has not matched Mathieu’s level of success, with family connections aiding his professional entry.
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Additionally, Mathieu has a sister named Corinne van der Poel, who pursued cycling as well, contributing to the family’s deep ties to the sport.
Career
Van der Poel’s professional career began in 2014, marked by early dominance in under-23 cyclo-cross where he secured his first elite victory at the Boels Classic in Heerlen.
He turned heads with flawless junior seasons, winning every cyclo-cross race in 2012-13 and defending junior world titles in 2012 and 2013.
Transitioning to elite levels, he claimed his first cyclo-cross world championship in 2015 at age 20, the youngest ever, and built a fierce rivalry with Wout van Aert that defined the discipline for years.
On the road, he won the Amstel Gold Race in 2019, followed by Monuments like the Tour of Flanders in 2020 and 2022, Strade Bianche in 2021, Milan-Sanremo in 2023 and 2025, and Paris-Roubaix in 2023, 2024, and 2025.
He also secured stage wins in the Tour de France (2021 and 2025, wearing yellow twice) and Giro d’Italia (2022, wearing pink), and the UCI Road World Championship in 2023, becoming the first man to hold world titles in three disciplines after adding gravel in 2024.
Accolades
Van der Poel’s accolades include a record seven UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships (2015, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2023, 2024, 2025), one UCI Gravel World Championship (2024), and the UCI Road World Championship (2023).
He has triumphed in multiple Monuments, with three Tour of Flanders wins, three Paris-Roubaix victories, and two Milan-Sanremo titles, alongside stages in Grand Tours and European mountain bike championships.
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