His name was already strongly linked to the French team with Dutch roots, but Wout Poels actually signed a contract with Unibet Rose Rockets last month. At 38 years old, the Dutchman is choosing a new adventure, but that’s not the only change in his life. He is also returning to his home country.
Poels has lived in Monaco — where many cyclists reside — for almost ten years, but he will leave the principality behind. In an interview with NOS, he explains why. "I want to live close to my family again. As a top athlete, you have quite a unique life. I have always dedicated everything to cycling and never really built a social life. You miss a lot of parties and you are quite selfish."
"That’s necessary to reach the top, but now that process is starting to change. I’m getting older and now I have a son, so things change. You start thinking about it. When you’re 25, you only think about cycling. You live in a small bubble. I’ve always done that and it still has to go on like this for another year, but after that, you have to try to fit into normal society a little bit."
No lack of ambition
Poels is preparing with his new team Unibet Rose Rockets for what is 'probably' his final season as a professional cyclist, but that doesn’t mean the experienced rider has no ambitions left. On the contrary: the good-humored Limburger is still just as ambitious.
Wout Poels still won this year’s Tour of Turkey – photo: Fotopersburo Cor Vos
"The peloton is going full gas, but I still enjoy it. I still like training and racing. That’s the most important thing. I also still recover well from efforts. I always try to take good care of myself. I’ve always been careful with my body, and that’s paying off now."
"It always feels good to finish my career with a team that has a Dutch character. They have a lot of ambition and I just want to have a great year of racing, deliver results, and stop with a good feeling. [...] Honestly, I didn’t expect to participate in the Tour de France again, but it would be a nice bonus if it happens one more time."
