WATCH THE BATTLE OF THE TITANS: WOUT VAN AERT VS MATHIEU VAN DER POEL

The battle had been brewing between two of the world’s best road racers for months. Ironically, it was a battle to be fought during the off -season on a muddy cyclocross course in Holland at the 2023  Cyclocross World Championships. The protagonists were none other than the two wunderkids from Belgium and  Netherlands; Wout  van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel respectively.

And so it was that it all went down on a sunny day in front of thousands of partisan fans with the two riders going shoulder to shoulder until a wicked finish sprint by van der Poel made the decisive move with a wicked sprint to gap his always awe-inspiring Belgian competitor. For Mathieu it was his fifth world title and a reminder to many that it was his father Adri who won the same title in 1996.

 

WOUT VAN AERT VERSUS MATHIEU VAN DER POEL