They say a boy’s best friend is his mother, so you can the pressure of imagine watching your son in one of the biggest cycling duels of the year. Corinne Poulidor was in Hoogherheide, The Netherlands, watching the super-close race between her son and rival Wout van Aert.
Corinne Poulidor is no stranger to cycling, having been surrounded by it as a child and in her adult life. Her husband is Adrie van Der Poel, a road and ‘cross star from the ‘90s. Her father was the great Raymond Poulidor. Raymond Poulidor, also known as “Pou-Pou” and the “Eternal Second,” was one of the finest road cyclists in the ‘60s and ‘70s. The latter nickname comes as a result of him finishing second three times at the Tour de France. He also finished third place five times. (That’s what happens when your career happens during the era of Jacques Anquetil and Eddy Merckx.) He did win seven stages at the Tour, as well as the overall at the Vuelta a España.
Despite Corinne being around cycling most of her life (don’t forget her other son, David, is an accomplished pro), you can understand how stressful watching the ‘cross worlds would be. The hype about van Aert and Mathieu’s battle royale had been going on for months. And given that the race would come down to the final sprint, it’s perfectly reasonable to see her anxiously check out the very close race.
Thankfully, the tension was worth it. MvdP took the win, and the rainbow jersey, and you can be sure Corinne gave him the kind of hug only a mother can.
Mathieu Van der Poel’s mum could barely watch last Sunday
💙💙💙 #Hoogerheide2023
— UCI Cyclocross (@UCI_CX) February 8, 2023
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