The cycling rivalry between Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel is considered among the greatest and longest lasting rivalries in the sport,[1] as they are contemporaries and have competed against each other since they were both eight years old.[2] They raced each other for the first time in a major event in the 2012 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships – Men's junior race and continuously since October 2013, originally in cyclo-cross and as their ambitions grew further also in road racing. The supporters of both riders, the Belgian media and later worldwide sports journalists began comparing one another regarding track record, racing style and personality.[3]
Van Aert was born in September 1994 and Van der Poel in January 1995. Van Aert is from Belgium and has been riding for Team Visma–Lease a Bike since 2019. Van der Poel is from the Netherlands and rides for Alpecin–Deceuninck. Both were born and raised in the cycling heartland of Flanders though and in both cyclo-cross and road racing they have won various similar races and achieved various similar milestones. In cyclo-cross, Van Aert has often been the better racer on heavy courses in the mud whereas Van der Poel is better on punchy courses and known for his last lap attacks.[4]On the road, Van Aert has proved himself many times being the better time trialist, climber and mass sprinter whereas Van der Poel is the better puncheur and classics specialist.[5]
Van Aert in 2015 on his loss against Van der Poel in the Cyclo-cross World Championships: “I don't think I won silver. I lost gold. I think I can say that I was the best man in the race but that doesn't buy me anything." About Van der Poel: "He's a nice world champion. He'll show the jersey all year long.”[9]
Van Aert in 2016 after beating Van der Poel at the Cyclo-cross World Championships: “I have to thank him. Because I got stuck in his wheel I finally got into my rhythm. Merci Mathieu." As for the way Van der Poel wilted: "It's in my character never to give up. I don't race to sit up after five laps.“[10]
Van der Poel in 2017 on Niels Albert insisting Adri van der Poel designed the Cyclo-cross World Championships course in favour of Van der Poel: "When Wout became world champion in Hoogerheide on the course that my father had set, I didn't hear anyone! Always complaining. Wanker.”
Adri van der Poel in 2018 on Van Aert dominating during the Cyclo-cross World Championships: “If the difference is two minutes, that is not normal. He rides around, but he does not breathe. With all due respect, Wout does not even stand in the shadow of Mathieu in terms of victories this season.”[11]
Van der Poel in 2020: “It's really important that I have someone pushing my limits, and I do the same with him as well – we make each other stronger. I think we’ve had some really good battles in the past, and it starts to be a story of its own, and you see that it's getting bigger than the sport itself. It's pretty cool to have someone like him, and it also benefits me.”[12]
Van Aert in 2021 on his loss against Van der Poel in the 2020 Tour of Flanders: “I would have preferred to have been beaten by Alaphilippe. I would have slept more easily that night. I keep turning that over for three nights, certainly because it was Mathieu who had won. We'll never change. This rivalry has made us who we are and it's not finished.” [13]
Throughout the years some riders were compared to Van Aert and Van der Poel, completing a so-called 'Big Three'. In cyclo-cross, Tom Pidcock, a multi-disciplined rider himself, was part of the Big Three since 2021. He never reached frequent wins in a cyclo-cross season and often ended on one of the lower podium spots. However, he became World Cyclo-cross Champion in the Van Aert-Van der Poel era, in 2022, however both of them were not present in that race.
On the road, Van Aert and Van der Poel are often named in a Top Three in several lists of best classic racers. In 2020 and 2021 both Julian Alaphilippe, Van Aert and Van der Poel were at the top of their game as to the Classics. It would have come down to a three-horse battle in the final of the 2020 Tour of Flanders, if it weren't for the fall of Alaphilippe due to a motor cycle. In 2022 and 2023 the biggest contender of the 'Big Two' in Classics was Tadej Pogačar. He battled with Van der Poel in both the 2022 Tour of Flanders and 2023 Tour of Flanders and stood on the podium with Van Aert and Van der Poel in the 2023 UCI Road World Championships – Men's road race.
In the Novice ranks not many races were contested between the pair; 6 in 2009.[14][15]Van der Poel had the better results in all cyclo-cross races they contested together. Van der Poel remained in the Novice ranks in the 2010-2011 season as Van Aert moved to the Junior ranks that cyclo-cross season.[16][17]
In the Junior category only in the 2011-2012 season Van Aert and Van der Poel raced together as Van Aert switched to the Under-23 ranks a year prior to Van der Poel. At the 2012 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships – Men's junior race in Koksijde, it was Van der Poel who claimed his first world title, defeating Van Aert by eight seconds.[18]
In the 2012-2013 season, Van Aert had been going through a growth spurt and his length compared to Van der Poel's had been about equal as Van der Poel joined him in the U23 ranks in the 2013-2014 season. In the Superprestige, the overall title went to Van der Poel with four wins to three.[19][20]
Each of them won a round of the 2014-15 UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup.[21][22]Van Aert rode a full 2015-16 UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup season, won the opening round in Las Vegas and secured the overall, while Van der Poel had a knee injury and had to skip the first two rounds. He did win the final four. The 2016-17 UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup was again dominated by Van Aert, as again Van der Poel missed the opening rounds due to an injury. Van Aert won four of the rounds and the overall, Van der Poel won three of them.
In the 2017-18 UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup Van der Poel won the overall as he finally rode a complete season. He won seven rounds, Van Aert beat him in the other two. In 2018-2019 Van der Poel won all six rounds he attended, Van Aert won one, but neither of them won the overall as Toon Aerts had a consistent World Cup season and finished top-4 in all rounds which got him enough points to beat the Big 2.
In the 2019-20 UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup Van Aert was not fully recovered from his 2019 Tour de France crash and did not win a round, as Van der Poel won all five of the rounds he contested. Again Toon Aerts secured the overall. The 2020-21 UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup season was shortened duo to the Covid pandemic. Van Aert rode all rounds as Van der Poel skipped the first one in Tabor. They both won two rounds, Van Aert won the overall for the third time. In 2021-2022 Van der Poel had a heavy back injury and did not win a round, Van Aert won two rounds. In the 2022-23 UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup Van Aert won again two rounds and Van der Poel five.
The 2023 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships in Hoogerheide was decided in the last lap. Van der Poel outsmarted Van Aert by not sprinting after the barriers, but focussing on the final sprint. He made the first kick in the straight uphill and won in his backyard.
In the 2021 road race Van Aert was the leader of the Belgian team on homsesoil in Leuven while Remco Evenepoel worked in the leading group. He could not finish the job however and finished eleventh. Van der Poel did not have an ideal preparation after his Tokyo crash during the Cross-country cycling Olympics. He finished eight. In 2022 Van Aert had to sit back in the main peloton and took fourth place in the bunch sprint while Evenepoel soloed to victory in the leading group. Van der Poel had been in prison the night before the race after a hotel incident with some teenage girls and gave up early.
Before the 2023 race they both were the favourites because the course suited them and they both had a smooth preparation. In a war of attrition it was Van der Poel who rode away from the leaders including Van Aert and soloed to victory as Van Aert took the silver medal.
The 2018 European Road Championships in Glasgow were the first major international head-to-head battle between the pair. On a technical course Matteo Trentin won the sprint against silver medalist Van der Poel and bronze medalist Van Aert.
Both Van Aert and Van der Poel have won the MonumentMilan-San Remo. Van Aert was the first of them to do so in 2020. It remains his only Monument win. Three years later Van der Poel won the Primavera as well. Van Aert stood on the third spot of the podium twice too, Van der Poel once.
Only Van der Poel has managed to win the Tour of Flanders, which he achieved on three occasions, as well as finishing second twice. Van Aert has not won the Tour of Flanders, his best placement was second, after losing a sprint against Van der Poel in 2020.
Van Aert rode in five editions of Paris-Roubaix. His best results are a second place in 2022 and a third place in 2023, the last one after suffering a flat tire on the Carrefour de l'Arbre. Van der Poel won that edition after securing a third place in 2021, as well as winning in 2024.
Van der Poel rode Liège-Bastogne-Liège in the pandemic season 2020 after he won the 2020 BinckBank Tour queen stage and general classification the day before. He conquered a sixth place in his only attempt. Van Aert also rode Liège once, in 2022, after having to miss the 2022 Tour of Flanders due to a Covid infection. He managed to conquer a podium spot in his only attempt.
Only Van der Poel has ridden Il Lombardia, in the pandemic season 2020. He suffered on the long and steep Muro di Sormano and ended in tenth place. After this Top Ten place he also secured a sixth place in Liége, a 5th place in 2021 Milan-San Remo, a first and a second place in the Tour of Flanders and a third place at the 2021 Paris-Roubaix in 14 months, being the second fastest to Top Ten in all 5 Monuments. Only Eddy Merckx reached this milestone sooner, in 13 months.
Both Van Aert and Van der Poel won some of the major classics, including cycling Monument Milan-San Remo, the Strade Bianche and the Amstel Gold Race. The only stage race they both were victorious is the Tour of Britain and they both won one stage (Van der Poel) or multiple stages (Van Aert even won 9) in the Tour de France.
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Van der Poel
Van Aert 6th
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Strade Bianche
Tour de France stages (9)
Tour of Britain