Mathieu van der Poel’s explosive win on Stage 2 of the Tour de France wasn’t just another victory — it also earned the Dutch star the race lead and the maillot jaune. And once again, his father, former pro Adrie van der Poel, was there to soak it all in.
“This is top,” Adrie told WielerFlits after the finish in Boulogne-sur-Mer. “These are moments you have to cherish, they’re truly unique.”
The elder van der Poel, a decorated rider himself, knows just how special it is to wear yellow — and how hard it is to get there. “It’s never easy,” he said. MvdP’s papa is no slouch — he’s had a few Tour stages, and Classics wins, and ‘cross world champs. And don’t get me started about his late father-in-law. He was pretty darn good too.
“Yesterday he was good, but didn’t have super legs. It’s a bit like his first Tour, when he struggled on the opening day but looked much better on day two. And if you see who stayed with him on those climbs, it’s really impressive. He must have felt great.”
Mathieu’s uphill surge in the final kilometre distanced Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard — no small feat with climbers of that calibre still in the mix. Despite being pushed to the front early, the Alpecin-Deceuninck leader handled the pressure like a seasoned veteran.
“You’re in control at that point,” AvdP said. “If someone comes from behind, you can respond right away. Sure, there’s pressure, but yesterday the stakes were incredibly high. The yellow jersey changes shoulders now — maybe just as the team planned. This is something you can only dream of.”
The yellow jersey is no ordinary prize, and his dad knows exactly how rare it is to wear one.
“Usually, for most riders, the yellow jersey only comes once in a career — and I speak from experience,” he told WielerFlits with a smile. “He’s doing things that are just incredible… Two Milan-San Remos, three Roubaix, three Flanders. One of those is already difficult enough. If you’re part of this sport, you know how rare these moments are.”
As for how long Mathieu might hold on to the overall lead?
“Honestly? I haven’t looked beyond today,” said his dad, who rode for Rabobank for many years of his career — now Visma | Lease a Bike. “I treat the Tour like a rider does: day by day. Tomorrow’s another tough stage and then there’s a time trial. He’ll go for it, but it’s always difficult. He only has four seconds on Pogačar, so we’ll…
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