"I'm still a little blown away by how popular Wout is in Belgium compared to Mathieu" - Is Wout van Aert more popular than Mathieu van der Poel?
Cyclocross
The rivalry between Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel has defined cyclocross and extended far beyond the boundaries of the sport. Two of the greatest talents of their generation, their showdowns always attract immense attention and draw huge crowds. However, when it comes to popularity, is Wout van Aert truly more beloved than Mathieu van der Poel?
Johan Bruyneel, a former professional cyclist who won stages in the Tour de France during the 1990s, recently shared his thoughts on this topic after attending the Azencross Loenhout during the Christmas period.
Bruyneel attended the event specifically to witness the much-anticipated clash between Van der Poel and Van Aert. The race itself was a spectacle, with Van der Poel ultimately emerging victorious, while Van Aert could only manage a fourth-place finish. However, the performance on the day seemed almost secondary to the atmosphere surrounding the two stars.
"I went to watch the cross in Loenhout," Bruyneel begins on the podcast The Move. "The cross where Wout and Mathieu raced against each other. I have to say it was spectacular. The number of spectators, the enthusiasm of the public. It was crazy to see. When Wout and Mathieu are both there it is really madness."
Despite Van der Poel’s victory, Bruyneel was struck by Van Aert’s overwhelming popularity in Belgium, even in comparison to his Dutch rival.
"I'm still a little blown away by how popular Wout is in Belgium compared to Mathieu. Mathieu is Dutch, but he's also an adopted Belgian. He grew up in Belgium, he lives there, he speaks more Flemish than Dutch. He's a cross world champion and a superstar, but Wout's popularity is unbelievable."
Bruyneel shared an anecdote from the race that perfectly encapsulates the adoration Van Aert receives from his home fans. "Wout won the battle to the first corner at the start and the people went completely crazy. It was as if he had already won the race."
Yet when the discussion shifts to performance and legacy, Mathieu van der Poel’s place in the history of cyclocross is seemingly untouchable, at least in Bruyneel’s view.
When asked if Van der Poel is the best cyclocross rider ever, Bruyneel did not hesitate. "Yes, he certainly is," he declared. "Erik De Vlaeminck has seven world titles and was very talented, but he did that in the seventies. Van der Poel returns and makes all the specialists look ridiculous. They are really blown away by him."
Bruyneel also highlighted the unique qualities that make Van der Poel such a standout rider. "It's impressive to watch him. The way he sits on the bike, the way he pedals. You can see the power in him, and there's so much power behind it."
"With every pedal stroke, his bike moves forward in a way that I don't see anyone else do. He has a special way of riding. That attack in Paris-Roubaix 2024 is also what you see in cyclo-cross. There is no doubt in my mind that he is the best ever. No discussion possible."
🇧🇪 #Superprestige
— Team Visma | Lease a Bike (@vismaleaseabike) January 4, 2025
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I am disappointed that we ever give Broyneel a public platform again. Boonen is a former star, and why should Bruyneel’s disgraced opinion ever matter, let alone be published. Bruyneel has forever disgraced by the Cycling profession, and never deserves a public platform again. He is entitled to his personal opinion on talented cyclists, but those opinions should never be published or printed. We need to forget him in the professional sport of cycling. As a cyclist and father, I never want my children to even know about him, unless it’s how he orchestrated a cheating doping program.
A far more interesting article would have been Patrick complaining of MVDP being as or more popular than Remco ;-) but it may be too late now, I get the feeling the tables turned after the summer.
as far as wout’s popularity in BELGIUM, goes i guess i’m not as surprised as bruyneel is. i DO agree with him about van der poel’s riding style. he is extremely easy to pick out of a crowded peloton (even when he’s not in rainbows). his riding position just looks different, for one thing. i’ve noticed this for years. interesting to hear bruyneel point it out.
On the road at the speed they often pass (other than steep climbs) it’s virtually impossible to identify 90% of riders in a group (unless you’re obsessive), luckily in xc there are fewer riders, less bunched and they’re slower so it’s less of a problem to set them apart.
oh, crap, maybe i’m OBSESSIVE! i’ll have to spend some time thinking about that, over and over, as if it were a looped tape, playing in over and over and over in my head, forever…
Sorry, maybe you thought I meant on TV? Obviously, most of the big fans in Belgium watching these two would take the opportunity to go watch live. I was once unlucky the TdF passed right near my house (when I lived in the south of France) it was over in 30 seconds, all 180 riders.
it is cringeworthy to read XC when you are referring to cyclocross, which I think you are as Wout does not do XC. CX = cyclocross. XC = cross country mountain biking. and so you have the rest: XCO = cross country olympic race. XCM = cross country marathon. XCC = cross country short track.
I was also lucky enough to see the TdF go up the Col de l’Iseran. 2770 meters over the sea level, almost at the end of the stage, steep gradients, and yet the climbers sped by us that we could barely register who they were. Alaphilippe, Yates, Bernal, Uran, just whizzed by at, what felt like 30km/h. Probably was little less than that, but they were quite fast. Unfortunately not everyone is that fortunate, and they have to do with TV broadcast where one has all the time in the world to make out a single rider they are interested in out of the whole peloton.
Nice, yeah, if you’re around a 6-7% gradient when they attack you’re not going to see much, it’s not for nothing the steepest sections are so crowded. If on TV you see an overweight fan running along for more than 30m you know they’re nowhere near that speed there;-)
What a dumb comment! Of course Wout would be more popular in Belgium...he's from Belgium ! Sheesh!
Nothing is obvious in Belgium, had Wout been from the French speaking regions, Mathieu would have been more popular. Philippe Gilbert is just about the only Walloon who managed to win over the Flemish and though he was adamant about representing the whole country you’d often see whole armies of fans brandishing seperatist unofficial Flemish flags at international races, kidnapping his popularity for their cause, NOT paying their respect to his talent. Belgium is a very complicated country even cycling-wise. As far as I know Wallonia has no known xc, not even an indoor cycling track and most would be hard done by to name any other non-Flemish rider. Mathieu is treated as a Belgian in many conditions, and this is further helped by his team being Belgian..
You are completly wrong about no cx in Wallonia. Namur UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup is one of many cx races in the region, yet another incorrect fact from your many posts.
i got the feeling that after mvdp won the glasgow world’s, there were more than a few of the flemish faithful who wanted to claim mathieu as their own for having been born in belgium.
UCI: Antwerpen, Dendermonde, Gavere, Heusden-Zolder, Hofstade, Hooglede, Kalmthout, Kluisbergen, Kokzijde, Loenhout, Maasmechelen, Overijse, Zonhoven. Any of these count in your tally? Superprestige or Trophy? Pretty sure it’s not better, maybe even 100%. Ok, you found one to contradict the spirit of the argument, what are the others of importance you speak of? Is this a sensitive topic for you?
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