Wout van Aert v. Mathieu van der Poel - a truly rare and iconic sporting rivalry
As the duo continue to trade blows on the biggest of stages, their rivalry will go down in history as one of cycle racings greatest
As the sun set on the mud and grime of Hoogerheide and Mathieu van der Poel pulled on the rainbow jersey as male elite cyclo-cross World Champion, so ended another chapter of the engrossing saga of his rivalry with Wout van Aert. A rivalry that has now brought us so many edge of your seat moments, including the Tour of Flanders in 2020 and now a battle down to the wire in the Netherlands.
“I think if you take one of us two away, then it makes the race less interesting for sure,” said Van der Poel after receiving his rainbow jersey. “After our career it will be something special to look back on.”
Van der Poel is exactly right. Not only will it be something special for him to reflect back on when he's sat in a café somewhere sipping an espresso, it’s also a once in a generation opportunity for us watching on at home to enjoy one of the great sporting rivalries that are few and far between.
Riders like the two current galacticos don’t come around often.
As each season passes, the duo continue to duke it out on the biggest of stages, like two prize fighters trading blows in a mud covered boxing ring. Cycling fans truly haven’t had it this good for a while.
Back in the 1980s was arguably the last time cycling fans were treated to a blockbuster rivalry on this scale
Bernard Hinault and Greg LeMond were two riders that had floated around one another for a number of years, but perhaps the greatest chapter in their well-known rivalry was the 1986 Tour de France on the La Vie Claire team.
Coming into the race the previous year, Hinault had shown signs that he was on the way out with a fifth Tour title agonisingly close. Meanwhile LeMond, seven years the Frenchman’s junior, had already won the 1983 World Championships in Switzerland and was beginning to be talked up as a potential Tour winner himself.
The American floated through the mountains in 85, clearly capable of pushing on for the win, but was shackled by his sports director who had placed all his eggs in an Hinault-shaped basket.
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
A rivalry for the ages
The Frenchman went on to get that fifth win, and promised to work for his younger teammate the following year. However, once 86 arrived that promise began to look empty as with the Pyrenees in sight, the Badger attacked to take over the yellow jersey in Pau, sparking fury in the American.
LeMond would eventually take the victory, and fans on the roadside eagerly lapped up the drama as it unfolded.
You would have to go back even further to find another rivalry as enduring or thrilling as that of the current duo.
Gino Bartali’s legendary clashes with the great Fausto Coppi truly captured the sports imagination. The duo's many duels-littered across the early history of the Giro d’Italia-are now only available to reflect back on in sepia toned photographs in cycling's history books.
Throughout their many victories, Coppi and Bartali achieved near God-like status which was aided by their rivalry, in the same way that Van Aert and Van der Poel now continue to do.
Van Aert and Van der Poel's battle in the last 300 metres of Flanders in 2020 will be just one of their defining moments. Inseparable for the entirety of the final third of the race, it would take something special to force a gap between the grandson of the great Raymond Poulidor and Van Aert.
On Sunday like their whole career they have barely been able to shake one another.
After the two riders had sailed under the one kilometre to go banner, they both had just seconds to figure out how to gap each other. In the end, Van der Poel forced Van Aert towards the barriers, masterfully giving him little room to manoeuvre as he got set to open up his sprint. Both riders then nearly came to a standstill, before unleashing nearly equal turns of speed as they raced towards the line.
It was always going to be millimetres that separated them. Van der Poel eventually winning by the smallest of margins. It was the kind of drama that was so enthralling, it will almost certainly warrant its place as its beamed onto the walls in a cycle racing museum in a corner of Flanders.
As the curtain falls on the cyclo-cross season, attention now turns to the white roads of Strade Bianche, a race they’ve both won before, and the cobblestones of Paris-Roubaix, which neither has. Both fitting arenas for the two gladiators to continue their epic battle.
And one day this too will all fade like the tracks in the mud of Hoogerheide. We should appreciate it all while it's still happening.
Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Tom joined Cycling Weekly in early 2022 and his news stories, rider interviews and features appear both online and in the magazine.
He has reported from some of professional cycling's biggest events and races including the Tour de France and the recent Glasgow World Championships. He has also covered races elsewhere across the world and interviewed some of the biggest stars in the sport including Tom Pidcock, Wout van Aert, Primož Roglič and Lizzie Deignan.
When not writing news scoops from the WorldTour, or covering stories from elsewhere in the domestic professional scene, he reports on goings on at bike shops up and down the UK, where he is based when not out on the road at races. He has also appeared on the Radio Cycling podcast.
-
A self-flying drone that fits in your jersey pocket and captures surprisingly good footage: the HoverAir X1 reviewed
Cycling Weekly put the self-flying camera drone, HoverAir x1, to the test to see if it works for capturing two-wheeled adventures.
By Anne-Marije Rook Published
-
Wout van Aert’s Classics dreams go up in smoke, but all is not lost for Visma-Lease a Bike
Attention turns to another promising squad member after their talisman is ruled out of Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix and Amstel-Gold Race with 'several fractures'
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Wout van Aert’s Classics dreams go up in smoke, but all is not lost for Visma-Lease a Bike
Attention turns to another promising squad member after their talisman is ruled out of Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix and Amstel-Gold Race with 'several fractures'
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Wout van Aert out of Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix after breaking multiple bones in Dwars door Vlaanderen crash
Belgian suffered broken collarbone and ribs in crash on Wednesday
By Tom Thewlis Last updated
-
Wout van Aert out of Dwars door Vlaanderen after being caught up in huge crash
Jasper Stuyven, Mads Pedersen, Biniam Girmay and other star riders involved in big pile up
By Tom Thewlis Last updated
-
Wout van Aert 'in a good place' ahead of Tour of Flanders despite Visma-Lease a Bike illness and injury crisis
Loss of Christophe Laporte and Dylan van Baarle 'a big blow' says DS Grischa Niermann as team builds for Monument double header
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Five things to look out for ahead of the Tour of Flanders
Lidl-Trek's impressive form and Mathieu van der Poel's explosive start to the Classics season could make for quite the contest this weekend
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Wout van Aert gears towards career-defining fortnight in new, enlightened mindset
Belgian admits pressure has weighed heavily on his shoulders in the past as the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix come around once more
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Mathieu van der Poel extends with Alpecin-Deceuninck until the end of 2028
Dutchman inks new five-year deal after team's second triumph at Milan-San Remo last weekend with Jasper Philipsen
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Mathieu van der Poel not intimidated by Tadej Pogačar’s form ahead of Milan-San Remo clash
Dutchman starts his 2024 road season at Italian Monument on Saturday
By Tom Thewlis Published