Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert clashed for the first time in October 2011, at a junior cyclocross race in Kalmthout, Belgium. The former was 16, the latter 17. On that occasion, van der Poel beat van Aert, setting in motion a rivalry which has dominated cycling like almost no other in the 21st century.
Thirteen years on, van der Poel and van Aert are set to clash once more on Sunday at the Tour of Flanders, the next chapter in an absorbing duel which sees no end.
This story is from the March 28, 2024 edition of Cycling Weekly.
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This story is from the March 28, 2024 edition of Cycling Weekly.
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