"My brother won those World Championships with many more opponents" - Roger De Vlaeminck doesn't believe Van der Poel's CX triumphs compare to his legendary brother Erik's
Cyclocross
This Sunday in Lievin, Mathieu van der Poel will be looking to make some sporting history. If victorious at the 2025 Cyclocross World Championships, the Dutchman will claim a record equalling 7th Rainbow Jersey in the discipline. Comparing Van der Poel to the legendary Erik De Vlaeminck isn't quite so simple though.
At least that is the opinion of Erik's brother, Roger De Vlaeminck, himself world champion in 1975. "Of course I wish him that (Van der Poel taking a 7th world title ed.). But my brother won those World Championships with many more opponents," explains Roger in conversation with Sporza ahead of this weekend's showdown in Lievin. "If Erik had had a normal life, Mathieu would never have been able to match him. But of course you have to take care of yourself."
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With Erik De Vlaeminck's seven world titles coming in an eight-year period between 1966 and 1973, Van der Poel had looked odds on to himself take a sixth world title in seven years this weekend. This last minute announcement of Wout van Aert's involvement has thrown a little spanner in the works for the Dutchman though, and Roger De Vlaeminck is hopeful Van Aert's presence will at least add some spectacle to the race. "I'm a fan of Mathieu. He's a great rider, but we need to have a duel on Sunday," he says.
"What do I expect? I'm not participating anymore myself. But I'm looking forward to it, because I suspect we'll get an exciting cross," he previews. "Van der Poel is of course in very good shape, but I think Van Aert will be able to follow for a long time... Van Aert always has a chance to win and certainly now. He showed that on Saturday. I think he sometimes gets a bit nervous because of Mathieu, but I can see him holding out for a long time."
"We really need to have a duel, because look at Sunday in Hoogerheide: after one and a half meters Mathieu was already solo. Then the rest is not good enough, right?" De Vlaeminck concludes. "Without Van Aert I would not have watched on Sunday. Or no, I would have."
Choose your fighter! 👀
— UCI Cyclocross (@UCI_CX) February 1, 2025
Riders have picked their favourites for the Elite races of the 2025 UCI #CycloCross World Championships! 🌈
What's yours? 🫵#Lievin2025 pic.twitter.com/3HpjQlCd1l
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- I like my statistics: Pogacar and van der Poel have won 13 of the last 18 Monuments and are tied at 7 each (MvdP won his first long enough ago that it doesn't show the more recent utter domination.) Oh, and the last 2 road world championships. Oh, and one of them also won the last Tour and Giro, while the other won the CX and Gravel world championships. I mean, anyone reading this site knows all this, but it's worth being amazed by it all every now and then.RidesHills23-03-2025
- Congratulations to all three on the podium. The final seconds reminded me of E3 a few years back, when tiny little Pogacar had no chance against van Aert and van der Poel, but that was just the last few seconds of an incredible race. Everything from the launch on the Cipressa to crossing the line was amazing.RidesHills23-03-2025
- All 3 of them went to doping control
Front24223-03-2025 - What a race! To see these three going at it, Ganna so stellar between the two best Monuments riders of the past several years (now tied at 7 each - what a rivalry!), Pogacar trying everything, van der Poel patient yet also throwing in that startling attack - who expected an attack on the Cipressa to be this good?! Just re-watched it, and even knowing the outcome it was great to watch. Fabulous!RidesHills23-03-2025
- He was never going to win a sprint. The hill isn't steep enough to drop MVDPAss-Master-Dirk23-03-2025
- What was the wind direction?Jumpyjohn22-03-2025
- F you. You were the figurehead and the leader by default and force when you raced but you continued to cheat and beat down opponents so saying now that others cheated is total bs and a copout. Go crawl in a cave and stay there. But first write checks to all those you screwed over a-hole.
MrCampy22-03-2025 - Happy now?Jumpyjohn22-03-2025
- Great race! Tadej did everything he could to win but MVP showed why he's so great in the classics. There were no losers on the final podium.awp22-03-2025
- To me he lost the race when he wasn’t able to drop Van der Poel on either of the climbs. He will never beat him in a sprint. If the two go to the line together, Tadej loses.mij22-03-2025