<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="8080948" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Mathieu-van-der-Poel">Mathieu van der Poel</keyword> had a horrific crash during a mountain-bike race at the Olympics.</li><li>Van der Poel said after the race that he'd expected a ramp that had been in place during practice.</li><li>Van der Poel's coach and teammate said they had discussed the ramp's removal with him.</li></ul>The Dutch cyclist Mathieu Van der Poel suffered a scary crash during the men's mountain-bike event at <keyword id="1581035" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Tokyo-2020">Tokyo 2020</keyword> on Monday.During the first lap of the race, Van der Poel tumbled into the rocks at one of the most difficult drops on the course, losing his spot among the leaders.Van der Poel attempted to get back on his bike and chase down the lead. But he eventually pulled out of the competition and had X-rays taken at a nearby hospital, <a href="https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/mathieu-van-der-poel-blames-removal-of-plank-for-tokyo-olympics-mountain-bike-crash/">Cyclingnews reported</a>.<blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">-David Ho (@_david_ho_) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1419545127006072833">July 26, 2021</a></blockquote>Looking at his fall, it's not surprising that he would need a check-up.<blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">-Bas Tietema (@BasTietema) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1419590795049451523">July 26, 2021</a></blockquote>After the event, Van der Poel blamed his fall on a ramp that had been on the course for practice runs but was removed for the medal race."People close to me know how hard I worked for this and how bad I wanted it," Van der Poel wrote in a post to his Instagram story. "I could ride the track with my eyes closed, but I didn't know they would remove this ramp on race day."<blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">-daniel mcmahon (@cyclingreporter) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1419634854891773958">July 26, 2021</a></blockquote>Watching his fall with this in mind, it looks clear that Van der Poel believed the ramp would be there.Rather than jump into the gap, as the other riders did, Van der Poel dips his nose into the bank as if he's expecting some ground to be there to catch him.It wasn't, and he and his bike were sent tumbling.According to Van der Poel's coach, the Dutchman should have been aware that the ramp would not be present during the race, as they had discussed the change earlier in the day."In training, there was a bridge to prevent falls. That is normal, just like it is normal for them to remove it before the race," national coach Gerben de Knegt told Dutch media, <a href="https://www.velonews.com/events/olympics/tokyo-olympics-mathieu-van-der-poels-dreams-in-dust-after-early-mountain-bike-crash/">VeloNews</a> reported. "We've discussed this a dozen times at the time, so Mathieu knew that."Van der Poel is a phenomenal cyclist, excelling across disciplines - he held the yellow jersey for a portion of this year's Tour de France - but at the Olympics, one mistake cost him a shot at gold.Still, Van der Poel held his head high after the race."I don't know what to say, but I'll be back," he wrote on Instagram.<blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px); data.width~540;"><div style="padding:8px;"><div style="background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:62.4537037037% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"><div style="background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5/P8/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"></div></div><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CRybeLMjLJg" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank"></a> <p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by MVDP (@mathieuvanderpoel)<time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime=""></time></div></blockquote>Van der Poel wasn't the only Dutch cyclist to suffer heartbreak at the Olympics this year.At Sunday's road race, <a href="https://www.insider.com/annemiek-van-vleuten-thought-she-won-olympics-actually-came-second-2021-7">Annemiek van Vleuten crossed the finish line believing she had won gold</a>, only to realize later that Austrian Anna Kiesenhofer had already sealed the victory.Both Van der Poel and Van Vleuten were favored to win their respective events. Here's to hoping they have better luck when the Olympics come back around for Paris 2024.

A Dutch mountain biker took a terrifying fall at the Olympics after a practice ramp was removed for the race

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Nils van der Poel won the 5,000-meter speed skating event at the <keyword id="12090559" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="winter-olympics" source="Orion">Winter Olympics</keyword>.</li><li>The Swedish star raced ahead of his closest rival in a gripping final lap.</li></ul>Nils van der Poel sealed a gold medal at the ongoing <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/beijing-2022" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2022 Winter Olympics</a> in Beijing and said he felt "empty and tired" after Sunday's record-setting performance.The Swedish athlete earned the Olympic title in the 5,000-meter speed skating event, edging ahead of race leader Patrick Roest in a gripping final lap.Van der Poel celebrated his victory at the National Speed Skating Oval in animated fashion, but after whirlwind euphoria, he seemingly struggled to comprehend what he had accomplished."Right now I am quite empty and tired; I'll try to come up with something to say," Van der Poel said, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/world/live-news/beijing-winter-olympics-02-06-22-spt/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to CNN</a>. "A few seconds ago, I was emotional."I cannot imagine performing like this in such a race. We knew nothing at the ice, and Patrick had a tough story. He had nothing to go on. I am really happy with how it turned out."Reporters pressed van der Poel for his race analysis, but he said he could not remember much."I think it will be a poor description as I don't remember too much about it. It was a solid start, how I wanted it. I was keeping it steady and feeling confident halfway through the race."But then when the second 9.3 came up, I thought, 'Shit, I've got to go now.' I was launching for it, and it was the Olympic race; that was all I had."Sweden currently tops the Winter Olympics medal chart with four golds, one silver, and one bronze.They lead the Netherlands with three golds, three silvers, and one bronze.Team USA is yet to return a gold, but has four silvers, one bronze, and lies in 17th place.

Olympic gold medalist said he felt 'empty and tired' after his record-setting speed skating performance

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Eritrean cyclist <keyword id="13970403" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="biniam-girmay" source="Orion">Biniam Girmay</keyword> made history this week by winning a stage in the Giro d'Italia.</li><li>He then injured himself on the podium when the cork from a Prosecco bottle exploded on his eye.</li></ul>An elite cyclist suffered a freak injury when a Prosecco bottle cork hit his eye while he was celebrating on the podium.Biniam Girmay, an Eritrean athlete, had made history Tuesday as the first Black African to win a stage of one of <keyword id="11897205" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="cycling" source="Orion">cycling</keyword>'s prestigious Grand Tours.The 22-year-old won the 196km 10th stage of the Giro d'Italia after initially riding the wrong way, outlasting Dutch rival Mathieu van der Poel in a dramatic final sprint.It was Girmay's last contribution in the race, however, as he uncorked a Prosecco bottle and cupped his eye when the cork bounced off his face.It caused an injury so severe it ruled him out of the rest of the Giro d'Italia.Watch the celebration, and injury, here:<blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—Eurosport (@eurosport) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1526847170443456514?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 18, 2022</a></blockquote>"Our priority is a complete healing of the injury, and that's why we decided together with the rider and the <keyword id="11893855" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="sports" source="Orion">sports</keyword> director that Biniam will not appear at the start of the 11th stage," team doctor Piet Daneels said, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/05/18/sport/biniam-girmay-giro-ditalia-cycling-spt-intl/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to CNN</a>.He suffered a hemorrhage to the anterior chamber of his left eye.Giro d'Italia officials have since considered making changes to the event, <a href="https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/giro-ditalia-considers-podium-ceremony-changes-after-girmay-cork-injury/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cycling News reported Wednesday</a>.Bottles of sparkling wine are now uncorked in advance to avoid freak injuries occurring again.Champagne celebrations have been commonplace at cycling and racing events.CNN reported that even van der Poel, who Girmay had pushed into second place with his 10th stage win this week, was struck by an exploding Prosecco cork last year.Unlike Girmay, though, van der Poel remained unscathed.

An elite cyclist suffered a freak injury when an errant Prosecco cork hit his eye when he was on the podium

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Swedish Olympic skater Nils van der Poel won gold and broke a world record in the 10,000 meters.</li><li>Van der Poel then released the workout guide he followed to achieve his historic performance.</li></ul>Sweden's Nils van der Poel became a global star on February 11, when he won Olympic gold in two <keyword id="12924864" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="speed-skating" source="Orion">speed skating</keyword> events, breaking the world record for the best time in the 10,000-meter race.After clinching the win in the 5,000-meter race, the 25-year-old speed skater completed the 10,000 meters with an astonishing 6:08.84 time. Getting to that level was no simple feat. Just hours after making history, van der Poel posted his own <a href="https://www.howtoskate.se/_files/ugd/e11bfe_b783631375f543248e271f440bcd45c5.pdf">62-page workout guide</a>, which he credits for his record-breaking performance, online. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—NBC <keyword id="11896183" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="olympics" source="Orion">Olympics</keyword> (@NBCOlympics) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1490270650996604930?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 6, 2022</a></blockquote>In the guide, which van der Poel wrote himself, he reveals that he cut certain activities, including <keyword id="12110950" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="squats" source="Orion">squats</keyword> and pre-workout stretching, out of his training routine. He says those activities detract from his ultimate goal of improving his speed and endurance as a skater, regarding them as "wastes of time.""All training sessions are performed at the expense of other, more efficient, training sessions," van der Poel wrote. "I completely cut what I thought were the suboptimal sessions in order to increase the optimal ones."Van der Poel's new training routine was built entirely of aerobic exercises to build his speed and cardio, which is more in line with the physical demands of being a skater than weightlifting and stretching.<h2>Van der Poel's workout plan is almost all aerobics</h2>In order to maximize his speed and endurance, van der Poel designed his workout routine almost exclusively around aerobic <keyword id="12243767" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="workouts" source="Orion">workouts</keyword> like running, skate practice, and <a href="https://www.insider.com/hiit-air-bike-workout-by-olympic-athlete-hilary-knight-2022-1">pedaling on a stationary bike</a>.Van der Poel's weekly workout routine includes:<ul><li>33 hours of cycling divided into five six-or-seven-hour sessions. </li><li>100 km (62 miles) of running divided over five days</li><li>15 minutes of single-leg squats per day</li></ul><h2>Van der Poel cut out traditional squats in favor of an effective variation</h2>Van der Poel wrote that he cut traditional back squats, which he previously did with weights up to 125 kg (275 lbs). While squats are an effective workout that can build full-body strength, professional athletes are learning to remove it from their routine during times of competition. The NFL's <a href="https://www.insider.com/nfl-buffalo-bills-dont-do-squats-never-get-injured-playoffs-2022-1">Buffalo Bills cut squats</a> from their in-season training routine to avoid injury and unnecessary stress on the joints, a player previously told Insider. But van der Poel does use <a href="https://www.insider.com/how-to-do-single-leg-pistol-squats-2022-1">single-leg squats</a> to help keep his hamstrings and glutes strong, while also improving his balance and control, which is more important for speed skating than pure lower-body strength. "To me speed skating was just a one-legged squat, repeated over and over during maximum heart rate," he wrote. <h2>Skipping stretching before workouts can be protective</h2>While stretching before workouts are often associated with avoiding cramps and strains, it might not be as healthy as it seems. Stretching before workouts might cause muscles to become more amenable to pulling and reduce their natural "protective neural tension," trainer Luke Worthington previously told Insider's, Rachel Hosie. "Stretching puts muscles in a weakened position and tones down protective tension," Worthington said. "When we're trying to train it, we need to tone it up."Van der Poel <a href="https://www.howtoskate.se/_files/ugd/e11bfe_b783631375f543248e271f440bcd45c5.pdf">wrote</a> that he is not necessarily against stretching, and believes if someone feels the need to stretch then they should. However, he doesn't believe devoting large amounts of regular time to getting a stretch in, and it's something he tries to do as little as possible.

A record-breaking Olympic skater released his 62-page workout guide, cutting out 'waste of time' squats and stretching

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Swedish speed skater Nils van der Poel won the gold medal in the 5,000 meters at the 2022 Olympics.</li><li>Between Olympics, van der Poel joined the army, ran ultra-marathons, skydived, and more.</li></ul>Swedish speed skater Nils van der Poel did not have the usual four-year period between Olympic games.After finishing a disappointing 14th in the 5,000-meter at the 2018 Pyeongchang games, van der Poel decided to try some new things.<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/02/05/sports/olympics-winter-medals#nils-van-der-poel-speedskating-motivation">According to The New York Times' Kevin Draper</a>, van der Poel joined the Swedish army, ran ultra-marathons, went sky-diving, partied, biked across Sweden, and more while taking a break from skating.For van der Poel, it was all an attempt to keep from burning out from training in <keyword id="12924864" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="speed-skating" source="Orion">speed skating</keyword>, a sport he claims "sucks.""When you are a professional athlete in a sport that sucks as much as speed skating sucks, you've got to find a way to make it suck a little less," van der Poel told Draper. "And whatever you can get inspired by, you need to find that."He added: "I had to make it adventurous, because I knew there would come a time when it wouldn't be adventurous no more, when I would lock myself up in Inzell [Germany] for two months just going for it. But I knew if I wanted to endure that, I had to, like, build up a mountain of motivation because I'm going to need that motivation one day."van der Poel told Draper that training in speed skating is too "monotonous" to do every day. By trying other activities, he found himself able to go back into training with enthusiasm.That paid off in Beijing, as van der Poel took him the gold medal in the 5000-meter, finishing in 6 minutes, 8.84 seconds, an Olympic record.In an interview in 2020, <a href="https://www.isu.org/speed-skating/news/interviews-ssk/13389-nils-van-der-poel-an-unbelievable-kid?highlight=WyJuaWxzIHZhbiBkZXIiLCJkZXIgcG9lbCJd&amp;templateParam=15">van der Poel told the International Skating Union</a> that stepping away from speed skating and trying other activities gave him a fresh perspective."Being away from the sport makes you look at it from another perspective … When you're in the army doing recognition, sometimes you're looking at an object for days and days and you start questioning everything: 'Why in the world would I want to skate 400m circles as fast as I can? What's the idea behind that?'"Despite having interests beyond the ice rink, van der Poel told Draper he may continue to skate, saying he hasn't been able to permanently quit it yet."I've been trying to quit two times and I haven't succeeded. I don't think I'll succeed this time either."

Swedish speed skater who won gold tried new sports and joined the Army so he wouldn't get bored training for Olympics

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A scientist for the Dutch <keyword id="12924864" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="speed-skating" source="Orion">speed skating</keyword> team was quoted saying he tries to influence ice conditions to the team's preference.</li><li>Swedish speed skater Nils van der Poel called it "corruption," saying it's as bad as doping.</li></ul>Swedish speed skater Nils van der Poel accused the Dutch speed skating team of altering the Olympic ice to their advantage.<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/02/08/sports/olympics-medals-winter?name=styln-beijing-winter-olympics&amp;region=hub&amp;block=storyline_live_updates_block_recirc&amp;action=click&amp;pgtype=LegacyCollection#a-swedish-gold-medalist-accuses-the-dutch-of-tilting-the-ice-in-their-favor">According to The New York Times</a>, van der Poel, who won the gold medal in the 5,000-meter race, made the accusation following an article published on <a href="https://www.schaatsen.nl/nieuws/2022/februari/bij-de-details-in-het-schaatsen-hoort-ook-de-temperatuur-van-het-ijs/">the Dutch speed skating website Schaatsen</a>.The article focuses on the work of Sander van Ginkel, a <keyword id="11893855" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="sports" source="Orion">sports</keyword> scientist working for the Dutch speed skating team, who studies the ice oval to find the best conditions for the Dutch team.In the article, van Ginkel said he constantly tests the ice and shares his findings with Mark Messer, the "head ice technician" at the Olympics, according to The Times."Messer understands that I share things like this with him because our team can benefit from it when the conditions are optimal," van Ginkel said in the article, according to a translation from Google.Van der Poel called the line between van Ginkel and Messer "corruption.""This is corruption," van der Poel said, according to the Times. "This is trying to alter the field of play in your favor by using unethical and immoral means."According to The Times, the Royal Dutch Skating Federation has won the most speed skating medals in Olympic history.<div type="image" title="Speed skaters compete in the Olympics." height="1000" width="2000" msid="89465215" hostid="261"></div>Messer and the Dutch Olympic Committee shot down van der Poel's claims and the quotes in the Schaatsen article.Maurits Hendriks, the head of the Dutch Olympic Committee, denied the team having influence on the ice conditions, according to the Times, saying that the International Skating Union determines the ice conditions.Hendriks also said van Ginkel denied telling Schaatsen that he attempted to influence the conditions.However, in the article, van Ginkel is quoted as saying he felt the ice temperature at the Olympics has changed over time because of his comments."At the time, many skaters thought the ice was too warm and too soft," van Ginkel is quoted as saying, according to Google's translation. "I don't know if it was because of my comments, but the temperature kept dropping a bit in the following days. By showing how I arrive at my measurement results, I hope to convince Messer and his people of my ideas."Messer, who is Canadian, told the Times over email that he found the comments in the Schaatsen article "offensive" and that he would never work with an Olympic team to alter the ice conditions.<div type="image" title="Mark Messer leans on a barrier and overlooks the ice oval at the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics." height="1300" width="1733" msid="89465216" hostid="261"></div>Van der Poel said he found the comments as serious as doping allegations."It's embarrassing not only for the federation but also for the riders," he said <a href="https://www.eurosport.co.uk/speed-skating/beijing-2022/2022/winter-olympics-2022-biggest-scandal-in-our-sport-swedish-star-says-ice-controversy-as-bad-as-doping_sto8772391/story.shtml">via Eurosport</a>. "This is the biggest scandal in our sport. We've had doping cases and I don't see this as less serious."According to the Times, Olympic skaters have called the ice in Beijing "slow and slushy." Olympic records have thus far been set in every race so far. Van Ginkel had told Schaatsen that the Dutch like hard, fast, dry ice.Van der Poel told Eurosport he would thrive on slow and slushy ice in the 1,000-meter race: "The best ice for me is when the ice is bad. I'm quite good when the ice is bad."

Swedish speed skating gold medalist accused the Dutch team of 'corruption' for allegedly trying to change ice conditions

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Dutch cyclists have had a tough go of it at <keyword id="1581035" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Tokyo-2020">Tokyo 2020</keyword>.</li><li>One rider <a href="https://www.insider.com/video-bike-crash-mathieu-van-der-poel-ramp-mountain-bike-2021-7">crashed when a ramp was removed</a> while <a href="https://www.insider.com/niek-kimmann-dutch-bmx-rider-crashes-steward-tokyo-practice-run-2021-7">another smashed into a bumbling official</a>.</li><li>A third rider <a href="https://www.insider.com/annemiek-van-vleuten-thought-she-won-olympics-actually-came-second-2021-7">thought she had won gold</a> only to later learn she finished second.</li></ul>There is not any other way to say this: Dutch cyclists at the Olympics have been cursed.After a calamity of errors pushed Dutch riders out of contention again and again and again in Tokyo, one can only turn to the supernatural to explain their misfortune.Like any curse, blood oath, or haunting from beyond, the signs of the paranormal started small.Dutch cyclist Annemiek van Vleuten momentarily believed she won gold in the women's road race at Tokyo 2020, <a href="https://www.insider.com/annemiek-van-vleuten-thought-she-won-olympics-actually-came-second-2021-7">only to learn later another rider had already crossed the finish line</a>.<div type="image" title="Annemiek van Vleuten celebrated thinking she'd won the Olympic title, but later found out she came second." height="1334" width="1778" msid="84832750" hostid="261"></div>The mistake was <a href="https://www.insider.com/annemiek-van-vleuten-thought-she-won-olympic-rules-cycling-2021-7">a result of a quirk in the Olympic rules regarding cycling</a>.Unlike other competitions, at the Olympics race radios are not permitted to ease communication for riders on the course. When Van Vleuten made her break from the front of the pack, she didn't realize one rider was still in front of her."There was a lot of confusion and not only with me," Van Vleuten said in a postrace press conference, according to <a href="https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/annemiek-van-vleuten-no-race-radios-led-to-confusion-at-tokyo-olympics/">Cyclingnews</a>. "It was in the Dutch team but also the other [countries]. In the most important race, you're not allowed to ride with communication, which we usually do. It should make the race more interesting, but it made the race more confusing."You might be thinking: "Small potatoes. This isn't paranormal. This is simply an unfortunate turn of events due to the nuances of this specific competition."<a href="https://www.insider.com/post/preview?post_id=61002689bd69126ff1617f86&amp;mode=desktopktop" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">READ MORE: The updated Tokyo 2020 medal table</a>If our story ended there, you might be right.But just hours later, another Dutch cyclist, Mathieu Van der Poel, <a href="https://www.insider.com/video-bike-crash-mathieu-van-der-poel-ramp-mountain-bike-2021-7">suffered a scary crash in the men's mountain-bike event</a>.On the first lap of the race, Van der Poel tumbled onto the rocks at one of the most difficult drops on the course, losing his spot among the leaders.<blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">-Bas Tietema (@BasTietema) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1419590795049451523">July 26, 2021</a></blockquote>After, Van der Poel blamed his fall on a ramp that had been on the course for practice runs but was removed for the medal race."People close to me know how hard I worked for this and how bad I wanted it," Van der Poel wrote in a post to his Instagram story. "I could ride the track with my eyes closed, but I didn't know they would remove this ramp on race day."<blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">-daniel mcmahon (@cyclingreporter) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1419634854891773958">July 26, 2021</a></blockquote>After the race, Van der Poel's coach said his rider should have known that the ramp would not be there during the final."In training, there was a bridge to prevent falls. That is normal, just like it is normal for them to remove it before the race," national coach Gerben de Knegt told Dutch media, <a href="https://www.velonews.com/events/olympics/tokyo-olympics-mathieu-van-der-poels-dreams-in-dust-after-early-mountain-bike-crash/">VeloNews</a> reported. "We've discussed this a dozen times at the time, so Mathieu knew that."A world-class cyclist may have made a mental error in one of the biggest races of his life that cost him a shot at a medal, even after being reminded a dozen times of the potential danger. It's also possible that a higher power is at work and that higher power was not done when it sent Van der Poel tumbling into the rocks.Next up was a BMX racing event, where Niek Kimmann collided with a race marshal wandering across the course in the middle of the competition.<blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">-7Olympics (@7olympics) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1419826461813272578">July 27, 2021</a></blockquote>Why was the official walking across the track at that particular time? And more important, how is it that all three of these calamitous events have been suffered by Dutch riders?At this point, I can only assume you're beginning to put the puzzle together.Whether by curse, hex, or otherworldly order, something has happened to the Dutch cycling team.In case you needed further convincing, another Dutch cyclist, Anna van der Breggen, <a href="https://www.insider.com/anna-van-der-breggen-wins-bronze-cycling-tokyo-security-calamity-2021-7">was stopped by security because she was not recognized as an Olympic athlete</a>.During the confrontation, Vn der Breggen reportedly fell from her bike (but was not injured).A Japanese cycling coach posted a video to Twitter showing security surrounding the Dutch team.<blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">-Kyosuke Takei (@takeikyosuke) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1419925482280165378">July 27, 2021</a></blockquote>The matter was cleared up, and Van der Breggen was able to carry on in her race. Officials at Fuji International Speedway, where the incident took place, issued an apology to the Dutch team, according to the AP.Each anecdote would make for an odd moment in the course of one country's Olympic journey. But together, the truth is impossible to deny.A gold medal thought to be won, unwittingly lost. A ghost ramp that disappears when you need it most. A freak collision and an unwarranted security stop.The vengeance of the outer realms is more powerful than we can comprehend.But just as you were finally reaching the appropriate level of concern, I'm delighted to inform you that recent events have offered hope for the Dutch that whatever dark magic was working against them has now been lifted.Annemiek van Vleuten, the subject of the first trial of the curse, found redemption as she took gold in the women's individual time trial.Further, Dutch teammate Anna van der Breggen finished third for bronze, despite her mishap with security earlier.<blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">-daniel mcmahon (@cyclingreporter) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1420231891253436420">July 28, 2021</a></blockquote>Hopefully this means that the cloud hanging over Dutch cycling has now been lifted.Whatever offering the Dutch team made to the great beyond after their trials and tribulations appears to have been accepted.Still, let this be a lesson to the cycling nations of the world.There are powers beyond the pedals that cannot be controlled, and their vengeance is mighty.

A calamity of errors suggests Dutch cyclists are cursed at the Tokyo Olympics

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Dutch cyclist Anna van der Breggen was stopped by security who didn't recognize her at the Olympics.</li><li>Van der Breggen fell off her bike during a confrontation but was not injured.</li><li>She went on to win bronze in the time trials, while compatriot Annemiek van Vleuten won gold.</li></ul>The Dutch cyclist Anna van der Breggen overcame a mishap with Olympic security to win a bronze medal in the women's individual time trial.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2020-tokyo-olympics-sports-cycling-great-britain-olympic-team-austria-olympic-team-9d92eb2ad68882734561abb1f6f2590a">According to a report from The Associated Press,</a> security officials confronted van der Breggen during a training session on the course because they didn't know she was an Olympian.During the confrontation, van der Breggen reportedly fell from her bike but was not injured.A Japanese <keyword id="6366594" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="cycling">cycling</keyword> coach had posted a video to Twitter showing security surrounding the Dutch team.<blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">-Kyosuke Takei (@takeikyosuke) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1419925482280165378?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 27, 2021</a></blockquote>A gold medalist in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, van der Breggen <a href="https://www.wielerflits.nl/nieuws/anna-van-der-breggen-bewakers-waren-heel-streng/">told the Dutch cycling news outlet WielerFlits</a> that there had previously been trespassers on the course and that security had gotten mixed up."Because there were a few girls on the track who cycled around unsupervised, the security was very strict," van der Breggen said. "We were checked for the first time. When we passed that point again, we wanted to continue, but the security again jumped in front of our bike. Not much more has happened."She said she was fine and wanted to move on from the incident.Officials at Fuji International Speedway, where the incident took place, issued an apology to the Dutch team, according to the AP.After winning bronze in the trial, van der Breggen told reporters she was still happy with the time, though she felt she did not have her best race."It's a shame in any case because I felt good beforehand," she said, <a href="https://www.telegraaf.nl/sport/555329244/anna-van-der-breggen-geloofde-niet-meer-in-medaille-niemand-zei-iets?utm_source=t.co&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=twitter=twitter">via De Telegraaf</a>. "Now I'm especially glad it's over. I'm looking forward to a holiday."It's been a calamitous Olympics so far for Dutch cyclists.Annemiek van Vleuten, a favorite in Rio before suffering a horrific crash, took silver in the 137-kilometer race in Tokyo. <a href="https://www.insider.com/annemiek-van-vleuten-thought-she-won-olympics-actually-came-second-2021-7">She thought she had won gold</a>, not realizing an Austrian cyclist had broken well ahead of the pack. Van Vleuten made amends Wednesday, beating van der Breggen to take gold in the time trial.In another incident, the Dutch mountain biker Mathieu van der Poel - a gold-medal favorite - <a href="https://www.insider.com/video-bike-crash-mathieu-van-der-poel-ramp-mountain-bike-2021-7">suffered a scary crash</a> when he didn't realize a ramp that had been on the course during practice was removed. He was able to keep competing but fell out of contention.And on Monday, the BMX world champion Niek Kimmann injured his knee after <a href="https://www.insider.com/niek-kimmann-dutch-bmx-rider-crashes-steward-tokyo-practice-run-2021-7">crashing into a security official</a> who had wandered on the course.

A Dutch cyclist was forcibly stopped by security because they didn't know she was an Olympian, then won bronze

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/59c5051f8b987d5e08ff2e1b-2000/mathieu%20van%20der%20poel%20stevens%20super%20prestige%20cyclocross%20bike.jpg" alt="Mathieu van der Poel Stevens Super Prestige cyclocross bike" data-mce-source="Daniel McMahon/Business Insider" data-link="http://www.businessinsider.com/author/daniel-mcmahon"><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/author/daniel-mcmahon">Daniel McMahon/Business Insider</a>Mathieu van der Poel's Stevens Super Prestige carbon cyclocross bike has electronic shifting, disc brakes, tubular tires, and a few custom touches.</img></div></div></div>WATERLOO, Wisconsin - The rising cycling star <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mathieu_van_der_Poel">Mathieu van der Poel</a> has arrived here to do battle in Sunday's <a href="https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/world_cup_waterloo/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">World Cup Waterloo</a>, the second round of the <a href="http://www.uci.ch/cyclo-cross/news/article/207-208-telenet-uci-cyclo-cross-world-cup-all-you-need-know/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">2017-2018 Telenet UCI Cyclocross World Cup</a> nine-race series. The young Dutch sensation won last's week opening round of the cup in Iowa City, Iowa, at Jingle Cross and is now looking to defend his lead this weekend in the Badger State before he and the world-class series head back to Europe.At 22, Van der Poel is already a multi-time world champion on the road and in cyclocross. His father, Andri, is a former world champion in cyclocross who also won stages in the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/category/tour-de-france">Tour de France</a> and several classics; his maternal grandfather, Raymond Poulidor, won the Vuelta a España and was runner-up at the Tour three times.Van der Poel is the best rider in world cyclocross so far this season, though the reigning world champion, Wout van Aert, and other top rivals will try to spoil Van der Poel's party this weekend. Temperatures will be unkind to all the riders, with the forecast calling for 85 degrees Fahrenheit on Sunday afternoon - very hot for what's traditionally a fall-winter sport.Business Insider got a close-up look at Van der Poel's bike. See the photos below.

The world's fastest cyclocross racer is set to do battle in Wisconsin - this is his bike

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5644d41b2491f92b008b49d0-3056-2292/rtr2d4sx.jpg" alt="Blankfein Cohn" data-mce-source="REUTERS/Natalie Behring" />REUTERS/Natalie Behring</div></div></div>Goldman Sachs has promoted 425 people to managing director."Our new Managing Directors represent the best of our firm's dedication to excellence, leadership and client service, and we wish them continued success in their careers," Goldman CEO Lloyd Blankfein said in a statement.It's a big deal to be named a managing director. The title is just one step below "partner," which is one of the most highly-coveted titles in investment banking. The next class of MDs won't be selected until 2017. In 2013, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/goldman-managing-director-selection-2013-3">Goldman changed its managing director selection process</a> from every year to every two years. That year, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/goldman-managing-director-class-2013-11">280 people</a> made the cut.The following individuals have been promoted:Catherine Addona-Peña Alokik Advani Sam Agnew Daniel Ahern Murtaza Ahmed Fusae Akamatsu Phil Almond Ana Alonso Roy Appelman Juliano Arruda Alex Ashwal Daniel Avery Misty Bailey Tom Barkes Jose Barreto Sushil Bathija Gregoire Baudot Olivier Belaich Sharon Bell Allison Beller Christine Benson Schwartzstein Sam Berberian Todd Berger Sandy Bernhardt Greg Berube Shashi Bhushan (Bengaluru) Lyla Bibi Julie Billings Alexander Blanchard Tristan Blood Katherine Bloom Alexander Blostein John Blythe Andrea Bonini Vijay Borkar Jean-Pierre Boudrias Dyson Bowditch Rhett Brewer Sean Brewer Cameron Brien Tyler Brooke Marios Broustas Melissa Brown Jacob Buitelaar Jason Burgess Manuel Camacho Tim Campbell Eliot Camplisson Susana Cao Miranda Nicholas Chan Sorubh Chandani Amy Chang Dennis Chang Scott Chastain Scott Chen (IBD) Yu Chikami Vikram Chima Sung Cho Caroline Chu Simon Clarke Ray Clifford Jorge Combe William Connolly Ron Cortina Daniela Costa Yasmine Coupal Patricia Creedon Brian Culang Michelle Daly Ranga Dattatreya Christopher Daur Brian DeCenzo Alexis Deladerriere Robert Devens Devanshu Dhyani Scott Dias Johanna Diaz Simon Dickinson Andrew DiMaria Darren Dixon Terence Donnelly Christopher Droege Lindsay Drucker Mann Frank Drury Caroline Dunne Steven Edwards (Internal Audit) Jeffrey Egee Naoko Ehara Inna Elyashkevich Jason English Andrew Erekson Joris Esch Ana Estrada Cristina Estrada Owain Evans Julia Feldman Jing Feng Albert Ferng Val Feygin Dan Fishman Dennis Fleck Terence Flynn Ian Foster (IBD) Kelly Galanis Ilya Gaysinskiy Libardo Gerardino Said Ghusayni Michael Gillott Arvind Giridhar Mark Glotfelty Chloe Goddard Lakshya Goel Peter Goertzen Andres Gonzalez Clara Gonzalez-Martin Claire Goodeve Anton Gorshkov Simon Gosling Jessica Binder Graham Michael Graham (Securities) Glenn Greilsamer Fabrizio Grena Alain Griveau Pierre-Yves Guerber Renaud Guidée Renu Gupta Christoph Haenschel Simon Hale Jay Handfield Deirdre Harding Nada Hassan Frances Hawkins Tobias Heilmaier Christoph Heuer Kenneth Ho Luke Hodges Jennie Holloway Matthew Hostasa Henry Howell Soomin Hu Victor Hu Andrew Huang Lee Hughes Michael Hui Shinichiro Ichiki George Ingram Francesca Innocenti Karen Ip Yuichiro Isayama Shubha Iyer Kristy Jago Matt Jahansouz Lear Janiv Jessica Janowitz Franklin Jarman Jabe Jerram Lei Jin Moritz Jobke Charles Johnston Ganesh Jois Katherine Jollon Colsher John Jonke Shrut Kalra Emiko Kamoda Markus Kant Yugandhar Karna Lotfi Karoui Vanya Kasanof Ting Ke Kyle Kendall Richard Kendrick Corey Kenyon Anthony Kim Seong Eun Kim Sean Kingston Teresa Kingswood David Kirschner Michael Klym Jared Klyman Andrew Knight Timur Kocaoglu Kevin Kochar Christina Kopec David Korpi Caroline Kraus Jennifer Krevitt Ajay Kumar Raj Kumar Kosuke Kurosawa Marc Kurz Takashi Kuwano Loredana La Pace Phil Labbe Marco Laicini Vidya Lakshmi Lia Larson Kinger Lau Max Layton Jerome Lebuchoux Andrew Lee (GIR) David Lee (IMD) Jay Hyun Lee (MBD) Jerry Lee Shane Lee Valerie Leeder Panayiotis Lemonidis Joe Lenehan Daniel Levy Yael Levy Olga Lewis Christina Sun Li Chuan Li James Li Edmund Lim Stephen Little David Liu Daniel Lochner Michael Loetzsch Donald Lu Rochelle Lucas Matthias Ludemann Christopher Lvoff Andrew Lyons Kristen Macleod Manju Madhavan Lynn Magnus Thomas Malafronte Sajith Maliakel Rakesh Manani Elizabeth Mann Jim Mannoia John Manzi Jia Mao Guillaume Marinacce Jeremie Marrache Matthew Mason Gaurav Mathur Yuji Matsumoto Tom McAndrew Scott McHugh Andrew McIlroy Jenny Meng Shahmil Merchant Joann Mercurio Maryline Mertz Marco Messeri Hideo Michiba Jared Miller Stacey Miller Elizabeth Milonopoulos Pascal Mischler Pooja Mishra Prahlad Doretta Mistras Matthew Mizrahi Hillel Moerman Soren Moller-Rasmussen Fausto Monacelli Q Montazeri Leonie Morel Owen Morris Daniel Motta Ricardo Mourao Christian Mueller-Glissmann Niladri Mukhopadhyay Mathieu Munuera Francis Murphy Thomas Murray Charles Myers Harsh Nanda Asad Naqvi Ryan Nash David Naulty Toh Ne Win Shapour Neshatfar Billy Newport Anya Newton Katrina Niehaus Christos Nifadopoulos Ryan Nolan Brian Nordahl Steven Nowak Matthew O'Callaghan John Olivo Oscar Ostlund Marco Paesotto Kanak Palanisamy Sundaram Pandiarajan Mrudang Pandya Francesco Paolicelli Dhaval Parekh Keyur Parekh Akash Patel Himin Patel Jatin Patel Cristina Patron Nicholas Peach Agostina Pechi Xi Pei Shlomit Perry Joseph Persky Carlos Prieto Ricardo Puggina Tim Quandt Stephanie Rader Emilie Railhac Amit Raje Sudarshan Ramakrishnan Akila Raman Vishaal Rana Robert Rancitelli Zeeshan Razzaqui Paolo Re David Reis Kevin Relihan Ben Reuter Matt Rhodes Clare Richards Brian Richardson Richard Rivero Duane Robinson Fabiano Romeiro Agustin Romo Calvo Karen Rossi Matias Rotella Anne Russ C. Kyle Russ Jamie Russell Isidoor Rutten Timothy Ryan Craig Sabal Carolyn Sabat Michael Sachs Hassan Salamony Nicholas Saunders Carly Scales Marc Schaffer Tom Schouwenaars Jameson Schriber Leonard Seevers Masataka Sera Arpan Shah (Internal Audit) Dhruv Shah Nitin Shah Ashoke Sharma Nik Sharma Salil Sheth Jonathan Shugar Aaron Siegel Eric Siegel Julie Silverman Jim Sinclair Balaji Sivasubramanian Neil Slee Martin Smith (IMD) Scott Smith Lin Smyth Douglas Spell David Sprake Jack Springate Sujatha Srinivasan Ricardo Stabile John Startin John Stecher Alexander Stiles Peter Stone Miruna Stratan Matthew Straughen Hiroyuki Sugiura Joseph Sumberg Philip Sun Lawrence Tankel Richard Tarling Ian Taylor Mike Taylor (Services) Sophie Taylor Latifa Tefridj-Gaillard Kurt Tenenbaum Prasanna Thati Radha Tilton Vincent Tiseo Jandirk tom Dieck Margo Topman Shinsaku Toriyama Dom Totino Joseph Traina Matthew Traina Alexis Tsang Tetsuya Ukai Silvia Valente Laura van Alkemade Carol Van der Vorst Alexis Vassilakas Kerone Vatel Thomas Vaughan Meriel Vessey Alexandra Vincenzi David Wade Dennis Walsh Alex Wang Jun Wang Moon Wang Katherine Ward Amy Watson Peter Watson Whitney Watson Gregory Watts Jie Wei Michael Weiss Miriam Wheeler Pete Williams Wes Williams Jiahong Wu Tony Xu Michael Yaeger Satoshi Yamagata Huan Yang Jonathan Yarrow Sylvia Yeh Vincent Yeung Derek Yi Jon Yoder Jaewon Yu Brendan Zeigon Daniel Zimmerman Martin Zoll <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/seaworld-end-killer-whale-show-san-diego-blackfish-2015-11">SeaWorld is ending its killer whale show after being criticized for how it treats them</a></h3> <div> <div> <script src="http://player.ooyala.com/v3/6e12e8b3387a44daacfb73afba25a76e"></script> <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="VjdnBxeDr7ABHNOUF_pwCshHV8m9AMwX" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div> <script> if (typeof RunFunctions === 'undefined') { var RunFunctions = []; } RunFunctions.push(function() { var ooyalapopvideo = OO.Player.create('ooyalaplayer_popvideo', 'VjdnBxeDr7ABHNOUF_pwCshHV8m9AMwX',{ autoplay: 'false' }); }); </script> <noscript><div>Please enable Javascript to watch this video</div></noscript></div> </div> <script>(function() { function createPlayer() { OO.ready(function() { RunFunctions.forEach(function(ooyalaFunction) { ooyalaFunction(); }); RunFunctions = [];}); } createPlayer(); }()); </script> </div>

You Searched For "Mathieu van der Poel" and got 10 results

A Dutch mountain biker took a terrifying fall at the Olympics after a practice ramp was removed for the race

Tyler Lauletta

Olympic gold medalist said he felt 'empty and tired' after his record-setting speed skating performance

Alan Dawson

An elite cyclist suffered a freak injury when an errant Prosecco cork hit his eye when he was on the podium

Alan Dawson

A record-breaking Olympic skater released his 62-page workout guide, cutting out 'waste of time' squats and stretching

Jackson Thompson

Swedish speed skater who won gold tried new sports and joined the Army so he wouldn't get bored training for Olympics

Scott Davis

Swedish speed skating gold medalist accused the Dutch team of 'corruption' for allegedly trying to change ice conditions

Scott Davis

A calamity of errors suggests Dutch cyclists are cursed at the Tokyo Olympics

Tyler Lauletta

A Dutch cyclist was forcibly stopped by security because they didn't know she was an Olympian, then won bronze

Scott Davis

The world's fastest cyclocross racer is set to do battle in Wisconsin - this is his bike

Daniel McMahon

The Goldman Sachs new managing director list is out!

Julia La Roche