“Mathieu van der Poel is without doubt the greatest cyclocross rider of all time” – Wout van Aert’s respectful response to retirement rumours around long-time rival

When talk began to swirl that this winter could be Mathieu van der Poel’s last in cyclocross, many voices weighed in. Few carry more weight than Wout van Aert.

Speaking on Laurens ten Dam’s Live Slow Ride Fast podcast, Van Aert admitted he was genuinely surprised to hear that his great rival had even hinted at stepping away from the discipline, or at least considering a winter without racing in the mud.

“I found it hard to believe,” Van Aert said. “With how dominant he is right now, I think everyone should be happy if Mathieu keeps racing. It’s fantastic to watch him ride. He is without doubt the greatest cyclocross rider of all time.”

It is a striking assessment from a rider who has spent the best part of a decade trying to beat him.

Van Aert and Van der Poel have defined a generation of cyclocross. Their duels shaped World Cups, World Championships, and winters that often felt like head-to-head battles played out week after week. There has been tension, intensity, and fierce competition.

But there has always been respect.

And Van Aert’s words land differently because of the timing. They do not come after a close battle. They come during a winter where Van der Poel has looked untouchable.

The Dutchman has won every race he has started, only truly pushed once in Namur by Thibau Nys. Even at Maasmechelen, where two moments of bad luck briefly unsettled him, Van der Poel later said Namur remained the hardest cross he had faced this season.

Van Aert has been watching from the sidelines, currently recovering from a broken ankle, but his view of the hierarchy has not changed.

“Mathieu is simply a step above the rest,” he said. “Last week in Maasmechelen, he looked even stronger than during the Christmas period. If he had gone any faster there, he would have ripped the course apart. He was incredibly impressive.”

The context behind those comments is important.

Van der Poel has openly acknowledged in recent weeks that there “has to be an end someday” to his cyclocross career. He has spoken about the idea of stopping on a high and wondered aloud what skipping a winter might mean for his spring condition on the road.

His father, Adrie, added another layer by pointing to the hidden burden that comes with being the sport’s main attraction. Long ceremonies. Crowds around the camper. Obligations that stretch long after the finish line.

That, more than racing itself, appears to be the real weight.

Van Aert’s reaction suggests that, from a competitor’s point of view, the idea of Van der Poel stepping away now feels almost illogical given the level he is riding at.

Looking ahead to Hulst, Van Aert does not expect suspense.

“When it matters, I’ve never seen Mathieu hesitate,” he said. “I see no reason why that would be different now. Mathieu has shown a hundred times that he is strong enough to ride solo for an hour. You can’t make it more exciting than it is.”

It is a remarkably candid prediction from a rider who knows better than most what it takes to win on the biggest days.

And perhaps it underlines the core of the current debate. This does not look like a rider reaching the end of his level. It looks like a rider who is still operating above everyone else.

Which is why the possibility that this could be his final winter in cyclocross feels so unusual.

For Van Aert, for the sport, and for anyone who has followed their rivalry for the past decade, the hope is simple.

That the greatest cyclocross rider of all time is not done with the mud just yet.