Mathieu van der Poel may have just won his eighth cyclocross world championship, but that’s nothing particularly special. At least not according to Roger de Vlaeminck.
The greatest ‘crosser of all time? “Not by a long shot,” de Vlaeminck told Het Nieuwsblad, that despite MvdP’s record putting him one ahead of de Vlaeminck’s brother Eric’s record.
“But can he win a Grand Tour?” Roger de Vlaeminck.
Of course, even if van der Poel had won a Grand Tour, or several, that wouldn’t impress de Vlaeminck either. The long-retired racer took time last fall to slam Tadej Pogačar’s achievements. Apparently winning world championships and the Tour de France in the same season didn’t warrant the media attention de Vlaeminck saw Pogačar getting.
Former Italian pro slams De Vlaeminck’s ‘absurd’ attack on Pogačar
If neither van der Poel nor Pogačar is worthy of the praise they’re getting, who is?
Don’t worry, de Vlaeminck has a list.
“Renato Longo, Rolf Wolfshohl, Albert Van Damme, Peter Frischknecht, Eric, me. They’re different men than we are now.”
And besides, why wasn’t anyone talking about the races he won?!
“I’ve won 512 races. 512, you know. Should I list them all?” de Vlaeminck said, as part of his concluding argument against van der Poel.
Seems like anyone who wins a world championship finds themselves in de Vlaeminck’s crosshairs. But Lord help us, if this man says anything about Mags we will fly to Belgium and correct him in person.