QUOTES: Wout van Aert & Mathieu van der Poel's pre-race thoughts ahead of 2025 Cyclocross World Championships
Cyclocross
The day has finally arrived. This afternoon in Lievin, France, Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert are set to go head to head for the Rainbow Jersey at the 2025 Cyclocross World Championships. See the pre-race thoughts of both riders down below!
"I'm really looking forward to it. It's a really tricky course and it will change a lot until the start and maybe even during the race. It will be a spectacle to look forward to," predicts Van Aert in comments to Sporza ahead of the battle. "I hope there will be space (to move up from 4th row). I think there's a big chance that will happen, because it's an uphill start. Hopefully I can gain some places right away and be at the front as soon as possible. That's the message."
"I never really make a plan in advance. Because if it goes wrong at the start, you can no longer stick to that plan. I'm someone who always looks at what's happening, how I feel and what the situation is," says Van der Poel meanwhile. "I think it's a bit more fun with Wout. He's always been a tough competitor. If Wout doesn't think he can win today, he wouldn't have been here. I'll definitely take him into account. If Wout beats me today, then hopefully it's deserved and not due to material problems. Then I can live with it."
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Tougher than the terrain. 💥
— UCI Cyclocross (@UCI_CX) February 2, 2025
Shout out to all the riders for giving it their all—through every fall, every slip, every gasp for air. 💪🏼#BigMat | #Lievin2025 pic.twitter.com/fMzqYIe3m4
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- He does that to everyone. Makes wild assumptions and accusations without base for the sake of fighting. Constructs a straw man, attacks it with some ad hominem in there, and thinks it provokes stimulating debate. The guy isn’t worth your time.Evan11-03-2025
- Merlier with Bert leading him out against Milan and his whole sprint train will be such a fun competition. I think Merlier has an edge as he’s shown himself to be incredibly adaptable to the race situation, surf wheels, and improvise. For Milan, if his train nails it, he’s the best. If they don’t, Merlier takes the W. I still don’t get why Alpecin neglected Merlier in favor of Philipsen in ‘21. I recall MVDP even stating that Merlier was fastest in the peloton at that point.Evan11-03-2025
- I know, I was replying to him. I have never criticized him. I think he replied to the wrong person. I saw the long thread of argument in another article. I wasn't involved in any argument with him.
KerisVroom11-03-2025 - That was a reply to MrM not you.Cyclingsbestfan11-03-2025
- I see, I stand corrected. I thought Jonas never raced there, but I think it probably didn't register to me because he wasn't as famous back then.KerisVroom11-03-2025
- Tibo slaved on his last TDF for Gaudu's 10th place. Then Demare situation where he got pushed out was also badabstractengineer11-03-2025
- For what it's worth, double Tour de France winner Pogacar raced cyclocross in Ljubljana in December '21. Not sure he's raced since, but it wasn't just as a junior. (He won the race, surprise.)RidesHills11-03-2025
- replying to KerisVroom re Vingegaard and Il Lombardia - it's the last Monument he raced, back in 2022. He was more or less in it until the very ending stages, but the last few hills when Mas and Pogacar took off and Landa got on and fell off a few times, he drifted off the back of the group and ended up 16th. In '21 he was 14th.RidesHills11-03-2025
- Huh??? I have never criticized you. What is this about?KerisVroom11-03-2025
- Lol The pot calling the kettle black!Cyclingsbestfan11-03-2025