What is the meaning of the "phone celebration"?

This summer, Belgian Remco Evenepoel became the first cyclist to win gold medals in both the time trial and road race events, and it was under the Eiffel Tower where his phone gesture was forever etched in the memory of fans. But what does this celebration mean, which we have now seen Mathieu van der Poel imitate after winning the Maasmechelen World Cup?

What does the phone celebration mean

The "phone celebration" is not just a flashy gesture, but a statement of confidence and focus. Since Evenepoel first did it after winning at the Figueira Champions Classic in February 2024, it had become a sort of personal signature of the Belgian until we saw Van der Poel repeat it, but the truth is that he was not the first athlete to do it.

Evenepoel himself explained the meaning of this celebration after his double gold in Paris: "Literally it's called 'dialled in' [a double meaning expression in English that can mean `dial the phone´ and `be really prepared for something´]. I focused on giving my best in this last week. It's something fresh, something new. I'm not the first to do it, of course, it comes from a tennis player. But I hope you enjoyed it."

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The Belgian cyclist was referring to the gesture popularized by American tennis player Ben Shelton, who started doing it in 2023 as a symbol that he was "connected" and ready to compete. Evenepoel took this inspiration and brought it to the world of cycling, adapting it to his own narrative of focus and success.

Now it seems that Mathieu van der Poel wanted to give it the same meaning as the Dutchman won in Maasmechelen after several weeks without competing due to a fall. That resounding victory and the "phone celebration" was a clear statement to express that he is truly prepared for the last races of the cyclocross season, including the World Championships.