Anyone who expected a birthday party with cake and gifts is in for a treat. Mathieu van der Poel will blow out 31 candles on Monday, but will do so entirely according to his own logic. The cyclo-cross world champion did not opt for rest, but for kilometers.
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Gift already unwrapped on Sunday
Mathieu van der Poel had actually received his birthday present a day earlier. In Benidorm he recorded his tenth cyclo-cross victory of this winter on Sunday, a new demonstration of superior power. However, there wasn’t much time to think about it, because Monday was again all about training.
The Dutchman from Alpecin-Premier Tech said afterwards that his birthday would largely take place on the bike. No surprise for those who know Van der Poel, but it remains striking how consistently he follows his own rhythm.
“I find that pleasant”
For Van der Poel, such a birthday ride is anything but a punishment. On the contrary even. “We are going to have a long training, but that is something I like to do,” he sounded relaxed. “We stop for a coffee along the way and I find that pleasant.” So no champagne, but espresso along the Spanish coast.
He does not complete that training alone. Some riders who came to cheer him on in Benidorm on Sunday will also join us on his birthday. Among them is teammate Jasper Philipsen, with whom Van der Poel often trains outside the matches.
The cyclo-cross races of Maasmechelen and Hoogerheide are still on the program next weekend, where Van der Poel will again be at the start. Then follows the absolute main goal of his winter: the World Cup. So there isn’t much room for birthday parties.
