Mathieu van der Poel seriously considered quitting cycling while battling a persistent back injury. The current World Champion shared his feelings during an interview with the Belgian website HUMO. “I really wasn’t having fun anymore,” he revealed, referencing not only his injury but also the dynamic at home with his girlfriend, Roxanne.
During the 2021 Olympic Games, during the Mountain Bike race, Mathieu Van der Poel suffered a serious accident, which had consequences in the following months.
Accident in 2021
“The problems with my back were a very difficult period. It really wasn’t fun anymore back then. And as a result, unfortunately for Roxanne, I wasn’t the nicest person at home. So I told her: if these problems continue, I will stop.”
“The limit was in sight. It was almost finished,” says Van der Poel. Did he really think about giving up? “If it had lasted longer… I don’t know what I would have done. Fortunately, things got better over time with lots of exercise.”
However, now everything seems to be under control. “When I return to training after a long rest, my back hurts. Then sometimes it crosses my mind: this isn’t going to happen, is it? But I have everything under control. I do stability exercises almost every day and go to the gym two to three times a week to train my back.”