This World Cup has delved into the differences between Van der Poel and Van Aert
Three years ago around this time, I was talking about Mathieu Van der Poel and Wout Van Aert in terms that might seem pedantic, but I thought they were illustrative of where each one was, situating them in the cycling they have to live, this world championship included, and in the rivalry that they keep alive so many years later.
I talked about the Dutch, genius and inspirational, like Leonardo Da Vinci, and the Belgian, hard-working and little ant, like Michelangelo.
I then made a no-money bet that my coins went with Wout Van AertI don’t know, perhaps because of the element of work, sacrifice and pain that go into cycling, compared to orange, much more often.
Time however has put everyone in their place.
Starting from the fact that we are talking about two vintage cyclists, exceptional, impossible to love one without the other, the reality is that Van der Poel has taken an important distance from Van Aerta stretch that this world cup right now marks as an abyss.
It’s true and it doesn’t hurt me to admit it.
It causes me more pain to admit that yes, that Wout Van Aert, for whatever reason, is not where we imagined him to be a few years ago and that is, side by side with Mathieu.
The Belgian is always there, in the good cut, in the ointment, but when the time comes to go head-to-head with his archrival, his breath freezes and the gunpowder gets wet.
We saw it at the World Cup a key attack by Van der Poel and Van Aert is missing a bitJust enough to stay in the chasing group.
The same as in Flanders, the same as in Roubaix, as in the cyclocross world championship…
There are many occasions that we see the same result in a frenetic and particular race in which Van der Poel has opened an important gap.
While he already has the World Cup and four monuments, Van Aert continues with the San Remo that he beat Alaphilippe in 2020.
Little baggage that hurts to seeseeing the potential of the Belgian, a machine to ride a bicycle and make this sport something beautiful and timeless.
Cycling, however, needs them boththey are both heroes of their time and of all time, a blessing for cycling that they have helped to revolutionize.
I don’t know how long they will be there, but as long as they give us emotions in the Christmas cyclocross, in the classics and wherever they come across, we will be happy.
Image: FB UCI
2023-08-10 22:01:51
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