Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel started the next chapter in their long-standing rivalry on Saturday during the World Cup in Antwerp. In the cross, however, Van Aert had to settle for seventh place, while the world champion rode to victory unthreatened.
The two will meet each other in Hofstade, Loenhout, Mol and Zonhoven later this winter. Then we have to wait for the battle between the two in the classic spring. As professionals they rode 149 crosses against each other, while with the youth years it is certainly approaching two hundred crosses.
First real love
Van der Poel tells in conversation with Algemeen Dagblad that he knows the figures. “It has been like since the juniors or even before that we have been competing against each other. The duel with Wout has been going on for a long time,” said the Dutchman.
Van Aert’s wife – Sarah De Bie – describes the match even better. “We have known each other since Wout was seventeen years old. But you could say that Mathieu is his first real love,” she laughs.
California fans
Het Nieuwsblad also went to Antwerp to see how many fans of Van der Poel and Van Aert were present. The latter turned out to be slightly more popular and can even count a couple from California among his fans. “We got to know the sport through a niece who raced in Europe,” said Kim and Susanne, who will visit eleven races in sixteen days.
“I still remember when we watched a cyclocross for the first time. We saw Marianne Vos suddenly jump off her bike and start running. I thought: what the hell are you doing?“We have been doing this for the third year now. It is wonderful to be surrounded by these young people and to feel what this is a religion in Belgium. Wout is the best!”
