The rivalry between Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel has been wild, for us fans. But if you ask Van Aert’s wife, Sarah De Bie, it’s more than a competitive relationship
In a recent bit with Wieler Revue, De Bie joked that Van der Poel might hold a special place in her husband’s heart. “We’ve known Mathieu since Wout was about 17,” she said. “You could almost say he was Wout’s first real love.”
It was clearly a playful line. But also one grounded in a rivalry that has followed both riders from their teenage years through to the very top of the sport.
A duel decades in the making
Van der Poel has never shied away from acknowledging how closely their careers are intertwined. In an interview with Algemeen Dagblad, the Dutchman reflected on just how far back their story stretches.
“We’ve been racing each other since the junior categories — maybe even before that,” Van der Poel said. “The battle with Wout has been part of my career for a very long time.”
While their paths now cross across multiple disciplines, cyclocross remains the arena where their history feels most deeply rooted, and where each meeting carries extra weight.
Antwerp follows a familiar pattern
Their most recent duo came in Antwerp, where van der Poel once again smoked everyone.
Starting deep in the field, the reigning world champion wasted little time carving his way forward before launching an early move that proved decisive. From there, he rode alone to the finish for a clear-cut victory. It was his second World Cup win of the season.
Van Aert’s race, wasn’t so easy. The dude looked good early on, but then, as it happens in ‘cross, he had problems. A puncture on the demanding, sandy circuit ended his hopes of fighting at the front, eventually leaving him seventh at the line. Van der Poel also suffered a late flat, but by then his advantage was more than enough to absorb
the setback.
More to come
Antwerp will not be the final chapter this winter. World Cup stops in Hofstade, Loenhout, Mol and Zonhoven still lie ahead, before the focus inevitably shifts to the spring classics on the road. (But first, the world ‘cross champs.)
The numbers alone explain why even a light-hearted remark draws attention. Van Aert and Van der Poel have already lined up against each other 149 times in elite cyclocross, with their total head-to-head count approaching 200 including junior races.
Either way, there’s much more to come with the two greats, so let’s enjoy it.