Career
The Grand Prix Adri van der Poel is named after him. Van der Poel was a professional from 1981 to 2000. His biggest wins included 6 classics, two stages of the Tour de France and the World Cyclo-Cross Championships in 1996.
He also obtained the second place and silver medal in the World Road Championships in 1983 behind Greg LeMond and five second places in the World Cylo-Cross championships.
Van der Poel began his career on the road and during his first season as a professional he obtained second place in Paris–Nice behind Stephen Roche and second place in the Louisiana Flèche Wallonne. In 1983 he tested positive for strychnine.
He said that his father-in-law had served a pigeon pie for Sunday lunch, and only when he tested positive did he realise that the pigeons had been doped with strychnine. Van der Poel is the son-in-law of the famous French cyclist Raymond Poulidor.
Van der Poel"s brother Jacques was also a professional cyclist from 1986 to 1992.