A golden age of rivals

The latest string of Van Aert us Van der Poel showdowns has left Felix Lowe in awe of the wondrous state of cycling's current rivalries

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To think that French fans cheering on Raymond Poulidor and Jacques Anquetil may have thought that was the best it would ever get. Cycling has been peppered with iconic rivalries through the ages – Coppi vs Bartali, Fignon vs LeMond, Boonen vs Cancellara to name a few – but nothing matches what’s playing out in front of our eyes right now on a weekly basis.

After winning the cyclocross Worlds to draw level with Wout van Aert’s three titles in 2021, Mathieu van der Poel described their rivalry as ‘bigger than the sport itself’. In response, Van Aert told L’Équipe that it would be ‘impossible’ for them to be friends. ‘What motivates us is that we don’t like each other,’ he added.

Born just four months apart, Van Aert and Van der Poel have already faced each other almost 200 times, sharing multiple podiums and trading more blows than Rocky Balboa and Apollo Creed. More recently, their major battles have played out on the road, and just when one seems to be taking the upper hand (Van Aert’s Tour de France heroics), the other fights back (Van der Poel’s Milan-San Remo win this spring – taking his Monument haul to three against the Belgian’s one).

Theirs is perhaps the greatest blockbuster rivalry in cycling. It’s like Messi and Ronaldo playing each other in