When I first got on the bike, I never thought it would take over my whole life,” Mathieu van der Poel admits. “At first, I rode because everyone in my family did — not because I had some dream of fame. But somewhere along the way, it stopped being just a sport. Every win, every loss, every moment of pain or joy… it all became part of who I am. And even now, after everything, I still ride for the same reason I did as a kid…
When Mathieu van der Poel looks back on where it all began, he speaks with a quiet honesty that strips away the glamour of victory […]
