Mathieu van der Poel needs no introduction to cycling fans. Already a multiple European and world champion in cyclo-cross, he’s also made his mark on the road, becoming several times Dutch national champion and winning the iconic one-day races of Tour of Flanders, Amstel Gold and Strade Bianche. The 2021 Tour de France would be Mathieu’s Grand Tour debut, and Alpecin-Fenix wanted to commemorate this in a very special way.

The Eternal Second

Aficionados of pro-cycling will know already that Mathieu van der Poel comes from a historic cycling family. The achievements of Mathieu’s grandfather, Raymond Poulidor, made him a national hero of France. His victories are too numerous to list here. However, one thing eluded “Poupou”, as he was affectionately known – he never was able to wear the yellow jersey of the leader of the Tour de France. This brought him another less-welcome nickname “The Eternal Second’.

Sadly, Raymond Poulidor passed away in 2019. It had been Mathieu’s dream that his grandfather could watch him compete at the Tour de France. But once it became clear Mathieu would debut at this year’s Tour, he was determined somehow to honour his beloved “Poupou”.

Merci Poupou

It was agreed between the Alpecin-Fenix team and the van der Poel family that the team would showcase the design, made famous by Poulidor all those decades ago, by wearing it during the official team presentation.

As the team stepped onto the podium at the Tour de France team presentation, wearing the striking purple and yellow design, the world’s press and social media went into overdrive. The sight of the iconic jersey, the story of “The Eternal Second”, and Mathieu’s deep desire to secure the yellow jersey in memory of his grandfather captured the emotions of fans all over the world. The design, and the charity initiative, were universally applauded and within minutes there were calls for the team to honour Monsieur Poulidor by racing in this beautiful kit.

Less than 24 hours before the race start in Brest it was agreed that given the outpouring of public affection, the team would be granted special permission to race in the former Mercier design on Stage 1.

The Race Is On!

However, there was just one small problem. We had only produced enough kit for the team to wear in a photo shoot and at the team presentation! At 12:45 on Friday before the Tour start, we took a call from the Alpecin-Fenix management. Could we please make some more kit in time for tomorrow’s race?

Production in our already crazy-busy factory was shortly due to end for the week. Surely this was impossible! Even if we could make the kit how would we even transport it from our factory in Tabor, Czech Republic, to Brest, in western France – over 1,700 km – in less than one day?

The Team Behind The Team

Due to the exceptional skill and commitment of our staff, and especially our talented seamstresses, all the kit, including our Brios road suits and waterproof Shark jackets, was made in record time. Incredibly, we started at 13:00 and just after 15:00 the kit was ready.

So we now had the clothes. How could we get them to the start line on time?

We searched every conceivable option. Covid restrictions made the situation more complicated. Could we hire a private jet? Could we drive 1,700 km? A commercial flight departing at 18:30 from Prague to Brussels might work. With a 90-minute drive to the airport, it was already tight, but fortunately, luck was with us.

Our employee, having earlier returned a negative covid test, met a representative of Alpecin-Fenix immediately he could clear airport security at 20:15. The team drove with the clothes through the night from Brussels Airport to the team hotel in Brest, over 850 km away. The race was due to start at 11:10. They made it with only a few hours to spare.

Heartbreak In Purple And Yellow

Now equipped with his favourite Brios road suit in the iconic purple and yellow Mercier colours made famous by his grandfather, Mathieu was determined to make his impression on his first ever stage of the Tour de France. The course, reminiscent of a one-day classic, suited Mathieu and many tipped him to win the stage.

Despite the best efforts of Alpecin-Fenix however, Frenchman Julian Alaphilippe launched a lethal attack on the final climb of the day to leave all in his wake, winning the stage and becoming the first Frenchman in 20 years to wear the maillot jaune on day one of the Tour de France. Mathieu gave his all, but he just did not have the legs to chase and ended the stage 20^th, 18 seconds behind the leader.

However, the main objective had always been to honour Monsieur Poulidor and promote the charity initiative, so the efforts of everyone were not wasted despite the race result. The team were able to race in the iconic colours and bring global awareness to their cause. Perhaps it was simply always meant to be this way.

Never Give Up

Now back wearing their more familiar navy-blue uniform, Alpecin-Fenix started stage 2 determined to give their all in pursuit of the yellow jersey on what was surely their last opportunity of this year's race. The end of the second stage featured the double ascent of the Mur-de-Bretagne – literal translation “the wall of Bretagne". This was to be the place where Mathieu launched his trademark attacks.

Fuelled by his desire to make his late grandfather proud, these attacks were so powerful his opponents were left far behind. Mathieu was able to gain enough time to ensure he not only won the stage but also took over the lead of the race.

As Mathieu crossed the line, he just had enough energy to point to the sky in a poignant gesture to his late grandfather. He then collapsed to the floor, exhausted after his lung-busting final effort. But he’d done it and the one honour that had eluded his grandfather for all those years, the yellow jersey, was finally upon his shoulders. How proud he would have been.