The numbers don't lie: Mathieu van der Poel smashes Wout van Aert in the biggest rivalry in cyclocross history
Cycling
The world of cyclocross has witnessed a legendary rivalry between two prodigies: Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert. Since their first meeting on the track on October 2, 2011, aged just 16 and 17 respectively, they have participated in 180 races together, marking an era in the sport.
The numbers paint a fascinating picture of this intense rivalry. Of those 180 races, Mathieu has beaten Wout 120 times, while Wout has triumphed in 60. These two cyclocross titans have dominated overwhelmingly, leaving only 12 races where a third rider has prevailed. In fact, when both participate, it is a rarity for another rider to take the win.
The last time a rider other than this time-honored duo managed to win was on November 1, 2018, when Toon Aerts made an indelible mark by prevailing over these giants.
The consistency and intensity of this rivalry has captivated cyclocross fans around the world. Each encounter between van der Poel and van Aert is an epic duel, where skill, strategy and endurance are intertwined in a battle for supremacy.
This almost absolute domination of van der Poel and van Aert in cyclocross has turned every competition into a duel between titans, where victory for either rider becomes an exceptional feat. And on the other hand, the numbers are in favor of the Dutchman, who has beaten his Belgian rival twice as many times, making it clear who is the true GOAT of the specialty.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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- for what?frieders311-11-2026
- Blah blah blah!frieders311-11-2026
- Where Merckx just rode every single race he could and won all the time, Hinault won less often (percentage wise) because he was more judicious in what he raced. His palmares are nuts. He had amazing rivals, one to start his career and another to end it in the grand tours. His classics were solid. What sets him apart from Merckx and Pogačar are that he basically dabbled in the classics while the other two love(d) them. I used to compare Pogačar to Hinault for his grand tour record and occasional classics win, until I realized that the comparison was wrong. Pogačar loves the classics - ah, the memory of his reaction to finishing fourth in a 2 person sprint in Flanders in ‘22: utter domination in any one day race since then, even when he doesn’t win. Hinault lived for the grand tours and I don’t think anyone else will ever reach his record. 10 wins in 13 attempts? Good lord. An amazing rider. Wish there was more footage to watch.RidesHills11-11-2026
- I had no idea about that either.
santiagobenites10-11-2026 - great analysis thanks! appreciate you posting this. I didn't realize CX had a different standard for deviation. this is even more egregious it seems.mij10-11-2026
- As he isn't currently with Red Bull, I guess if he want to race for one more year he needs to find a team. He's 37 so this will be his last year I would guess, unless he wants to race for almost nothing like Froome did.awp10-11-2026
- I think some are making much ado about nothing. Even though Jonas is getting older, before his crash in the Tour, he looked like a solid 2nd all the way home. No one can really climb with Tadej until this year, Eric Mas showed himself which I think was a one off year for him and Paul Seixas has been able to be pretty close to him. Whatever stage race Jonas enters as long as Tadej is not there he is a favorite to win.awp10-11-2026
- Giro or not Giro, he won't win the Tour!MajorPayne10-11-2026
- Very true.awp10-11-2026
- Ciccone had a very strong end of season. Consistently attacking and livening up races. Hope he makes that last leap in progress and starts notching some significant wins. Great rider to watch.Occam10-11-2026
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VdP y WvA han coincidido en 180 carreras CX, la 1ª fue 2 octubre 2011 (tenían 16 y 17 años cada uno). En 120 Mathieu ha quedado delante de Wout, éste en 60. Y solo en 12 de esas 180 ha ganado un tercer ciclista. Es decir q si compiten ambos, muy raro es q gane otro esa carrera.
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