MEN | WOUT VAN AERT & MATHIEU VAN DER POEL
PHOTOGRAPHS : GETTY IMAGES , ÉTIENNE GARNIER / L ’ ÉQUIPE ivals since their
R early racing days , Belgian Wout van Aert and Dutchman Mathieu van der Poel have spent more than half their lives doing battle in cold , wet , winter cyclocross races and on the glistening cobbles of the great Northern Classics . Both appear to have applied to the road the principles they learned from cyclocross , in which the hour-long effort is so intense that there ’ s no time to ease off . Ambassadors of ‘ total cycling ’, they ’ re well capable of blowing a race completely apart up to a 100km from the finish . When summer comes , though , these two kings of the Classics look less like twins . While both have given the Tour de France a very high place among their season ’ s objectives , they don ’ t share the same goals .
HUNTING STAGE WINS Winner of the green jersey for the points classification at the 2022 Tour , during which he also shone in the yellow jersey for four days , Wout van Aert has already savoured the whole range of successes that appear to be within reach of his multi-faceted talent . Winner of nine stages over the last four editions and a key player in the overall victory of teammate Jonas Vingegaard last year , the Belgian rider has become a central figure in July ’ s big race . “ The last Tour was a great adventure ,” says the Jumbo-Visma rider . “ Wearing the green jersey into Paris , winning the overall with Jonas , wearing the yellow jersey and taking three stage victories was like a dream . But I was also able to assess how much energy the fight for the points classification could consume . Consequently , I won ’ t make winning the green jersey my initial goal this year . I ’ ll concentrate on stage victories before taking stock of other possible options halfway through the race .”
Jumbo-Visma ’ s primary mission will be guided by a different colour – yellow . “ The
team ’ s number one objective is to win the race in Paris ,” says Merijn Zeeman , sports director on the Dutch team . “ The last edition of the Tour showed how valuable Wout can be in this quest , but we certainly won ’ t sacrifice all of his personal ambitions for that . He ’ s already proved his eclecticism by winning Tour stages in very different ways , whether in bunch sprints , time trials or on the day that featured the double ascent of Mont Ventoux . This year ’ s route offers him great opportunities for stage victories , especially during the opening days in the Basque Country . He ’ ll have to be at his best to shine on these very demanding routes but I ’ m convinced that he can do well there and can perhaps also pull on the yellow jersey again . When you know what Wout is capable of , that ’ s not a pipe dream at all .”
Van Aert and Van der Poel both spend their winters on muddy cyclocross tracks .
I ’ LL CONCENTRATE ON STAGE
VICTORIES BEFORE TAKING STOCK OF OTHER POSSIBLE OPTIONS HALFWAY THROUGH THE RACE ” – Wout van Aert
LOOKING TO MAKE HIS MARK Winner of Milan-Sanremo and Paris-Roubaix in the spring , Mathieu van der Poel wants to extend his dream year by erasing the unpleasant memory of the last Tour de France , which he quit in pain on the 11th stage on the Col du Granon having attempted a final show of panache earlier that day .
“ The Tour will be my big goal of the summer , I really want to play a significant role in it ,” he admitted in the Roubaix velodrome in April , just minutes after winning “ Hell of the North ”. This underlined the fierce determination of the Classics star , who believes that he ’ s
THE TOUR WILL BE MY BIG GOAL OF THE SUMMER , I REALLY WANT TO PLAY A SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN IT ” – Mathieu van der Poel not yet really made his mark on the race , despite winning a stage in 2021 and wearing the yellow jersey for six days .
“ The Tour is a natural objective for a rider like Mathieu ,” suggests Christoph Roodhooft , manager of the Alpecin-Deceuninck team . “ The initial ambition this year will be to try to win one or more stages , before deciding what this harvest might allow with regard to the eventual conquest of the green jersey . Mathieu is also determined to reach Paris . On his two previous Tour appearances , he had to leave the race – in 2021 due to the scheduling of the mountain bike event at the Tokyo Olympics , and last year because his condition wasn ’ t solid enough . A top athlete ’ s career isn ’ t always filled with joy and successes , and I can tell you that the last Tour proved a difficult time for Mathieu . But sometimes you learn more from these moments than from victories . This is a part of how champions are made .”
The performances produced by Raymond Poulidor ’ s grandson since the beginning of the season provide the ideal proof that , rather than being affected by these setbacks , he ’ s come back even stronger . “ Maintaining the dynamic is important in any positive spiral ,” says Roodhooft . “ Winning at the Tour is a huge challenge , but we ’ re convinced that Mathieu will have several opportunities . I know that the media likes to compare our rider to Wout van Aert , but they ’ re different athletes capable of their own feats .”
For the Tour de France and its fans , the presence of these two giants , both capable of all manner of exploits within a rivalry that ’ s constantly evolving , ultimately guarantees a great spectacle ! ●
2023 TOUR DE FRANCE | 19