🎥 The 10 World Championship battles between Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert: The ultimate cyclo-cross rivalry since 2012
Cyclo-crossFor thirteen years, Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel have gone head-to-head at the Cyclo-cross World Championships. What started as a junior rivalry has now evolved into the "Nadal vs. Federer" of cyclo-cross. After ten World Championships, who holds the upper hand? Sporza put together a compilation of their epic battles in an incredible video. A must-watch!
It all began in Koksijde in 2012. The Junior World Championship was the first time these two warriors fought for a world title. Van der Poel had already won 21 out of 24 races that season, and despite struggling with stomach cramps, he took the title. Two years later, they met again—this time as U23 riders. And in Hoogerheide, the dynamic completely changed. Van Aert won on Dutch soil, in front of Van der Poel’s home crowd, while the Dutchman had to settle for third place.
The following year, both riders stepped up to the elite category for the first time. In Tábor, Czech Republic, it became a classic Belgium vs. Netherlands showdown. The two young talents, both just 20 years old, took control of the race. After Van Aert suffered a mechanical issue, Van der Poel seized his chance—becoming the youngest world champion in history.
Read more below the photo!
Van der Poel 6 - Van Aert 4: Who will win in Liévin?
In the years that followed, Van Aert dominated the World Championships, winning in Heusden-Zolder (2016), Bieles (2017), and Valkenburg (2018). Van der Poel had to settle for second place each time. But in 2019, everything changed. Van der Poel turned the tide, winning every world title since—except for 2022. That brings the current score to 6-4 in favor of the Dutchman. Will Van der Poel extend his lead in Liévin, or will Van Aert close the gap with another world title? We can't wait to find out!
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Latest Comments
- Remco is still very young. And injuries can absolutely keep you from overdoing it and getting worse. The recent Remco accident didn't keep him from being able to ride a recumbent inside. Wout's knee is a different story thoughVeganpotter23-01-2025
- Van der Poel style is winning by a half a lap and leading the race from the end of the second lap.
Barnes127420-01-2025 - If she thinks talent alone will put her there she will not see many podium finishes much less a GC finish.....work as a team utilizing tactics to consistently be at the top.Germanrazor10-01-2025
- This was very informative! Luiz Antonio Duarte Ferreiraluizantonioduarteferreira02-01-2025
- Well explained, thanks for the clarity! Daniel DantasDanieldantas20-12-2024
- This is the kind of 'news' that belongs in a cheap tabloid. No matter how boring the offseason gets, nobody wants to read this.
santiagobenites19-12-2024 - I wish we could have seen him try. He'd absolutely get dropped before Pogi overtakes his domestiquesVeganpotter10-12-2024
- Talk is cheap! Next year barring crashes with a healthy team... all well be on track! Some need to talk to make a headline!mootman27-11-2024
- I do not see this event listed on HBO Max Sports Online? Can anyone confirm? Thanks!
MrYuck23-11-2024 - It seemed that he was focusing forward at the time of the crash, after seeing a quick video snippet. But one thing I think he should focus on more intently is breaking a bad habit he has, right now. And that is his constant looking over his shoulders. He does that so much, that I am very sure it is not good for him. Simply watch videos of the greats of CX and you will see very little of that constant looking over their shoulders. That is a behavior that betrays a bit of insecurity on his part. He shouldn't be so concerned, incessantly, about what is over his shoulder. He needn't worry they didn't all disappear. He neds to keep his focus more ahead of himself, and he needs to pay a bit more attention to himself, in a confident manner. It is very frustrating to watch, because it is apparent that he has a lot of potential, and is in much better shape thwan many of his competitors, but the mental game needs to be sharpened more, because that part of strategy plays a huge part in the final results
reemmo022-11-2024