Even in the sunny town of Kaç on Turkey’s Mediterranean coast, Tibor Del Grosso couldn’t avoid questions from local media about whether he might follow in the footsteps of teammate Mathieu van der Poel. There are some similarities between Del Grosso and the Paris-Roubaix champion—both come from the same team and country, and share a versatile riding style. On Monday, Del Grosso earned his first professional victory at the Presidential Tour of Turkey.
“People often compare me to Mathieu since we’re from the same team and maybe have a similar style,” Del Grosso said. “But I try not to compare myself to anyone, especially someone like him. He’s extraordinary. I’d love to reach his level, but I’m not sure there will ever be another Van der Poel.”
Del Grosso has repeatedly expressed admiration for Van der Poel, who found early success as a junior and later dominated in both cyclocross and road racing. Van der Poel’s first elite road win came at 19, but he didn’t fully commit to road cycling until age 24.
Like his teammate, Del Grosso has made a name for himself in cyclocross. He’s the current under-23 world champion, the Dutch national champion, and won five of six U23 World Cup rounds, claiming the overall title.
Now 21, Del Grosso is in his first full WorldTour season with Alpecin-Deceuninck, having joined after a year with their development squad. He’s already turning heads with strong road performances, including second place on stage 5 of Volta Catalunya, sixth at Dwars door Vlaanderen, 10th at De Brabantse Pijl, and his breakthrough win in stage 2 of the Tour of Türkiye.
When asked if he now considers himself a road cyclist, he replied, “I’m both.” Like Van der Poel, he remains committed to cyclocross.
Following his stage win in Kalkan, Del Grosso earned another milestone—leading a pro race for the first time thanks to time bonuses. However, he doesn’t expect to keep the leader’s Turquoise jersey after the upcoming summit finish in Akyaka.
“It’s my first time leading a race, but I think someone else will take the jersey on Wednesday,” he said. “We’ll try to defend it tomorrow, but stage 4’s 9km climb will likely be too much for me.”
Beyond the racing, Del Grosso is enjoying discovering new places. “I didn’t know much about Turkey—just that the baklava is good,” he joked. “It’s my first time here, and it’s a great chance to gain confidence and aim for my first pro win.”
He added that he already raced with the WorldTour team last year and feels he’s made significant progress in a short time. “The start of the road season was tough, but once I hit good form, the Spring Classics showed me I’m at a strong level.”
