Here’s Mathieu van der Poel doing some wild wheelies with his teammate

With the lousy news that MvdP is out for the ‘cross season, and maybe even the early races due to a back injury, maybe it’s time to remind you just how great he is.

Sure, there was his recent incredible start. Since it was his first ‘cross race of the year, despite being world champ, he still got a lousy place on the start line, way back in right field, essentially.

The Dutch rider was slotted in the third row, which for most mortals, would prove to be an impossible feat to get to the front on the first lap, if ever.

Mathieu van der Poel’s unbelievable start from the third row

And of course, who can forget some of his wattage when he absolutely killed it on the MTB.  Mathieu van der Poel  won two World Cups in 2021, both Short Track XCC events, and both as a result of stunning displays of power. One a sprint, one an early race attack, but both requiring otherworldly wattage.

Strava stats behind Mathieu van der Poel’s 1,360 W World Cup winning sprint

Similarly, Mathieu van der Poel impressed everyone in the world of cycling during the 2021 Strade Bianche. He attacked with a riveting sprint in the final 400 m, dropping Julian Alaphilippe and Egan Bernal off his wheel to take the win.

Mathieu van der Poel’s Strade Bianche attack wattage is just as insane as you’d expect

But if you want to see something super fun, it’s the kind of wheelies he can do with his teammate Samuel Gaze. As many of the commenters point out, it’s one thing doing a near-vertical wheelie on a MTB, it’s something else doing it on a road bike with your handlebars slammed.