After the cyclo-cross World Championships, seven-time world champion Mathieu van der Poel heads to the mountains for a well-deserved ski vacation. Thibau Nys also hits the slopes before starting his road season preparation. A ski vacation right before your season is unusual, and some think the two are taking unnecessary risks. Others, on the contrary, can understand Nys and Van der Poel's choice.
Van der Poel often does his own thing, and his team will have accepted that by now, says Dutch analyst Thijs Zonneveld. How angry Cristophe was then with everything and everyone, but also certainly with Mathieu.
So those do influence him. But with things like this: if you say to Van der Poel: "You can't go skiing because you might break your leg," he will answer by showing a middle finger and the words: "Who do you think you are? I'll send you a picture of the snow tomorrow. But if you start that way, they'd also say he didn't go downhill on his mountain bike, do 26 jumps, and film it.
Besides, he can also ski very well. He's good at everything. So annoying. Of course, the former rider knows a skiing accident can badly backfire. Read more below the photos! Last year, Van der Poel also headed to the ski slopes with is girlfriend Roxanne Bertels. Many teammates had grown up on the skis and always went skiing on vacation.
Still, the former Paris-Roubaix winner wasn't keen on going down the slopes. I've already seen a video of Thibau; he went down smoothly. Mathieu also has plenty of technique and experience. So, for them, the risk is smaller. But to the riders who have never done it, I would say: please wait because it can be hazardous. Read more below the photo! However, you notice that the top riders are always allowed more and that the mentality has changed.
