Can Mathieu van der Poel beat Wout van Aert at Tour of Flanders? Dutchman says he'll need to get better

Despite winning at Dwars door Vlaanderen, Alpecin-Fenix rider says Flanders is another step up

Mathieu van der Poel
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Despite winning a thrilling edition of Dwars door Vlaanderen, Mathieu van der Poel reckons he needs to be even better to win at the Tour of Flanders on Sunday.

This is because of the threat posed by his long-term rival Wout van Aert, who has looked the form rider in the Classics this season, winning at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and the E3 Saxo Bank Classic.

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Adam Becket
News editor

Adam is Cycling Weekly’s news editor – his greatest love is road racing but as long as he is cycling, he's happy. Before joining CW he spent two years writing for Procycling. He's usually out and about on the roads of Bristol and its surrounds.

Before cycling took over his professional life, he covered ecclesiastical matters at the world’s largest Anglican newspaper and politics at Business Insider. Don't ask how that is related to cycling.