'That cell was the best thing that could have happened' - How Australia became the turning point in Mathieu van der Poel’s career

That change is visible now. Van der Poel operates with far more control at the top level, driven by setbacks and the constant pressure from rivals like Wout van Aert and Tadej Pogačar.

“I think there are very few riders who do as much for their sport as Mathieu,” said his brother David van der Poel, who raced professionally on the road and in cyclocross from 2014 to 2022, in an interview with AD. “But in recent years, a huge amount of motivation has been added to that.”

Earlier in his career, that intensity was less visible from the outside. Results came naturally, sometimes regardless of how a race unfolded.

“He had been winning throughout his entire career. Everything worked for him,” David said. “Until he was 20, he was able to rely heavily on talent. Back then, he would win races even when riding tactically foolishly, because he was so much better than the rest.”

That period also created his image. “He got the label that he was just messing around. The image of a playboy who supposedly didn’t listen to his trainer and just did whatever.”

The shift, according to his brother, can be traced back to 2022. On the eve of the World Championships in Wollongong, Van der Poel spent the night in custody following an incident at the team hotel. He still started the race, but abandoned early after a disrupted night.

“I have never seen Mathieu so sad and insecure,” David said. “He was in a very bad place. That’s when the realisation hit, from now on, I’m going to give it my all. He started training even harder and didn’t let any more opportunities slip away.”

Although he was later cleared, the immediate consequences were clear. A major objective had disappeared before the race had properly begun. The longer term effect proved more significant.

“That event in Australia created disbelief and a sense of injustice,” David said. “But it also changed something. That cell in Australia was the best thing that could have happened to him. In hindsight.”

A year later, the response followed at the World Championships in Glasgow, where Van der Poel claimed the rainbow jersey. For David, the meaning of that victory went beyond the result.

“The joy there was intense. For me, that’s his most beautiful victory,” he said. “All the built up frustration from the year before came out.”

As he lines up for the Tour of Flanders once again among the main favourites, with a potential record within reach, that moment in Australia remains a reference point within the Van der Poel family. Not for what was lost, but for what followed.