After the conclusion of the Cyclo-cross World Championships, Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert are turning their consideration to the upcoming Classics season. However, they’re choosing fairly completely different approaches.
Even as early because the day after Worlds, the champion Van der Poel headed to the golf course with a ski journey additionally in his rapid plans, whereas Van Aert was again on the bike, clocking in six hours and 168km of coaching on the street.
Van der Poel, who claimed a record-equalling seventh CX world title on Sunday, will kick off his 2025 street season sooner than final 12 months on March 9 or 10, with both a debut at Paris-Nice or a fourth look at Tirreno-Adriatico.
His schedule is not absolutely confirmed however the Dutchman will then race Milan-San Remo and defend his titles on the Tour of Flanders, the place a fourth win would make him the race’s most profitable rider, and Paris-Roubaix, which he has gained the final two editions of.
While he singled out Flanders as the principle purpose, Van der Poel can have Tadej Pogačar again to cope with in April. The world champion was the final man to beat him there in 2023 and long-term rival Wout van Aert will even be again after a crash dominated him out of Flanders and Roubaix final 12 months.
“I fell in love with [the Ronde] once I first participated. But this 12 months a sure Tadej Pogacar is taking part. I should be in high type to have the ability to comply with him,” Van der Poel informed Sporza after ‘Cross Worlds.
“A couple of groups have change into very sturdy in depth. When Tadej goes, a variety of groups know that it is rather troublesome to comply with him.
“That will make it enjoyable for the spectators as a result of that signifies that the race will likely be opened up from very far-off.”
Last 12 months, Van der Poel was in a special league to everybody at Flanders when he attacked up the Koppenberg, earlier than using 44km solo to the road. But as UAE Team Emirates’ Nils Politt identified to Cyclingnews and Rouleur on the end in 2024, “We have one man in our group with Tadej [Pogačar], he’s the identical, some guys are like this.”
It ought to see the fascinating battle which performed out in 2022 and 2023 revisited, with Van Aert additionally hoping to be again at his finest so he can compete after lacking the previous version resulting from COVID-19 and getting dropped within the latter.
Van Aert in contrast, will quickly head to Mallorca for coaching, earlier than beginning his street season with the Clásica Jaén on February 17 and Volta ao Algarve the week after in preparation for Opening Weekend – Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne.
After that, the Belgian will practice at altitude in preparation for the Monuments, once more selecting to skip the Italian races Strade Bianche and Milan-San Remo, each of which he has already gained, earlier than returning on the E3 Saxo Classic on March 28.
His ultimate look earlier than Holy Week will likely be at Dwars door Vlaanderen, the race which ended his Classics season final 12 months after a brutal crash. After all his dangerous luck of the previous few seasons, Van Aert will then look to lastly win the Tour of Flanders or Paris-Roubaix in April backed by a stacked Visma-Lease a Bike squad.