Wout VAN AERT

The young Belgian made his Olympic debut at the Tokyo Olympics, winning a silver medal in the Men's road race.

Wout van Aert rivalry with Mathieu van der Poel

Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel, born just four months apart, have ignited one of the most intense rivalries in cycling. The rivalry spans cyclocross and road racing, where these exceptional athletes have locked horns in a quest for supremacy.

Between 2015 and 2023, the two cycling titans shared the spoils of eight world titles in cyclocross, with van der Poel besting his rival 5-3. This competitive fire carried over to road racing in 2019 and intensified following the Gent-Wevelgem race in 2020. In that memorable race, van Aert and van der Poel were part of a group of contenders, ultimately finishing 8th and 9th, respectively.

The finish to this race spilled over, with van Aert suggesting that van der Poel had focused on him during races to thwart his chances—a claim van der Poel refuted. The Tour of Flanders in the same year was a defining moment, as van der Poel narrowly bested van Aert in a thrilling photo finish. The two riders had broken away from the pack for an exciting head-to-head battle over the last 30 kilometres.

Van der Poel emerging victorious in the 2021 Strade Bianche while van Aert secured fourth place, and their duels continued in 2023.

First, at Milan-San Remo, van der Poel pulled ahead of van Aert on the Poggio climb to claim the classic. Then, during Paris-Roubaix, van Aert suffered a puncture just 15 kilometres from the finish, ceding victory to van der Poel. Finally, at the 2023 World Championships in Glasgow, van Aert took home the silver medal behind his old rival van der Poel. Van Aert did manage to secure a win in the E3 Saxo Bank Classic 2023, triumphing in a thrilling three-way sprint against van der Poel and Tadej Pogačar.

This epic rivalry is frequently compared to other legendary cycling duels from the past, such as Eddy Merckx versus Roger De Vlaeminck or Tom Boonen against Fabian Cancellara.