Van der Poel vs Van Aert: Rivals Since They Were Eight
Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert have raced each other since childhood, from cyclo-cross world titles to the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix.
In this post
Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert have been racing each other since they were eight years old. Today they’re two of the biggest names in cycling.
In the mud
Their first big race together was the junior cyclo-cross world championships in 2012, and they’ve been racing each other since. Van Aert won the elite cyclo-cross world title in 2016, 2017 and 2018. Van der Poel has won it many times since 2015.
On the road
- 2020 Tour of Flanders: Van der Poel outsprinted Van Aert.
- 2023 world road championships: Van der Poel won, with Van Aert second.
- Van der Poel: has won the Tour of Flanders in 2020, 2022 and 2024, and Paris-Roubaix in 2023, 2024 and 2025.
- Van Aert: won Paris-Roubaix in 2026.
Why it matters
It’s rare for two riders to meet at the top of two sports. Theirs has run through the mud and over the cobbles. Ride the same roads with the Flanders and Roubaix sportives.
Ride like it matters
For the plain look of the Classics, there’s the Classics Midnight Black jersey in a men’s and women’s cut. Prefer the mountains? See our Climbs jerseys. Every piece is made to order, with free personalization.
More rivalries: cycling’s greatest rivalries.
