"Wout van Aert's long accepted that he can’t match Mathieu van der Poel" - Michel Wuyts believes storied rivalry is over

In the modern era, the sport of cycling has been highlighted by storied rivalries such as Tadej Pogacar vs Jonas Vingegaard and Wout van Aert vs Mathieu van der Poel. In terms of the latter though, Belgian analyst Michel Wuyts believes the years of Van Aert and Van der Poel going to head to head might be over.

In an interview with Wieler Revue, Wuyts was asked to give his thoughts on the Spring of 2025, where Van Aert and Van der Poel were notably at differing levels of competitiveness. "It might look effortless when Van der Poel races, but that’s an illusion. It’s the result of relentless hard work — day in, day out. He has this incredible ability to push himself every single day to reach his athletic goals," Wuyts begins, praising the Paris-Roubaix and Milano-Sanremo winner. "The playful way he rides stands in stark contrast to the serious, gruelling training behind it.”

Despite Van der Poel's successes though, the Dutch leader of the Alpecin-Deceuninck team has continually been the victim of some abuse by rowdy 'supporters', both on the road and in cyclocross. According to Wuyts, a lot of this is down to the rivalry with his nemesis Van Aert. "Though to be clear — Van Aert himself has nothing to do with it," says the experienced Belgian. "He’s long accepted that he can’t match Van der Poel. And he probably knows that he may never beat him again in the classics. Van der Poel has just moved too far ahead in that arena.”

Just because Van Aert himself may have accepted Van der Poel's superiority however, that doesn't mean his fans have. “I think Wout has come to terms with it. But for his fans, it’s a painful realisation. And make no mistake — Wout van Aert has a lot of fans," acknowledges Wuyts. "Last year, I hosted the team presentation at the E3 Saxo Classic. The wave of excitement that swept over the stage when Wout appeared was equal to all the other Belgians combined — times two.”

"Wout’s not a big talker, but he expresses himself incredibly well in interviews — usually with great humility. And I can say this with confidence: Wout never dodges the truth. When he doesn’t win, he’ll admit he was beaten by someone better,” Wuyts continues, looking to explain the Team Visma | Lease a Bike superstar's fandom, although he insists that Van der Poel too is just as likeable. "You don’t need to tell me that Van der Poel is a fantastic guy with a gracious nature — I’ve known that for a long time. In every conversation I’ve had with him, I’ve always felt a genuine ease and connection — more than with anyone else.”