Cyrille Guimard: "Even with Wout van Aert at the top of his game, Mathieu van der Poel is superior"

So far this winter, Mathieu van der Poel has absolutely dominated the cyclocross scene, taking victory on every occasion he's taken to the field. Even his old rival, Wout van Aert has had no answer to the dominant Dutchman.

"The fact is that Mathieu van der Poel is absolutely extraordinary. He stands out physically and technically. It is beautiful to watch," analyses the vastly experienced, French cycling expert, Cyrille Guimard.

"Wout van Aert on his side is not at his top level," Guimard adds although he's not sure that would even matter, given the immense level being produced by van der Poel currently. "Even with Van Aert at the top of his game, Mathieu is superior. And I think Van Aert is not far from his best level. His discourse is that he is preparing for the Tour of Flanders, but that is something for people who believe in that."

Van Aert has made no secret of the fact he's using the cyclocross season to prepare for the spring, however Guimard has serious concerns about the performance levels of the Belgian. "It is a bit less than expected and it comes after a road season that was not exceptional for Van Aert. Is he simply not there physically? That is not impossible," the Frenchman concludes.