Mathieu Van Der Poel's World Title Sets The Stage For The Spring Classics
Mathieu Van Der Poel's World Title Sets The Stage For The Spring Classics
Mathieu Van Der Poel wins his seventh world title, setting up a thrilling Spring Classics season against Wout Van Aert and Tadej Pogačar.

Mathieu van der Poel did it again. Seven-time world champion. Undefeated all season. On Sunday in Liévin, the Dutchman crushed the field, dropping his rivals in the first lap and never looking back.
Wout van Aert? He never had a chance. A bad start put him on the back foot, and he spent the rest of the race chasing. He still took silver, but the long-awaited duel never materialized.
Van Aert took it in stride, even stopping for some Belgian fries on the way home. “I am very happy that I was there on the day that Mathieu pulls this off,” he said.
Van der Poel called it “historic.” Now standing alongside Erik De Vlaeminck in the record books, he admitted: “It’s a record that has stood for a long time. I never would have imagined this. It’s very special.”

The Road To Flanders And Roubaix
Van der Poel and Van Aert now turn their attention to their true battleground: the Spring Classics. Tour of Flanders on April 6. Paris-Roubaix on April 13.
Van der Poel is the reigning champion in both races. Last year, he crushed the cobbles, winning Flanders solo and taking Roubaix with a three-minute margin. He’s hungry for more. A fourth Flanders victory would give him the all-time record. A third Roubaix win? That would cement his place among the legends.
But this year, the competition is fiercer. Van Aert is back. Injuries sidelined him last year, but now he’s healthy and focused. He’s skipping Strade Bianche and Milan-San Remo to dedicate himself fully to Flanders and Roubaix. He needs this.
Van Aert hasn’t won a Monument since Milan-San Remo in 2020. He’s come close—countless podiums—but close isn’t enough. He’s desperate for his first Tour of Flanders or Roubaix win. He’s training in Tenerife. He’s going all-in.
And then, there’s Tadej Pogačar. The wildcard. He dominated Flanders in 2023 but skipped the cobbles last year to focus on the Tour. Now he’s back.
Van der Poel knows what that means: “We’re thinking about how to close the gap on Pogačar. That’s the challenge.”

The Countdown Begins
Though their exact race schedules are still taking shape, Van der Poel and Van Aert are expected to kick off their road seasons at Opening Weekend in Belgium. They’ll likely clash at E3 Saxo Classic, Dwars door Vlaanderen, and then Flanders and Roubaix. Each race will reveal clues about their form.
For Van der Poel, it’s about defending his throne. For Van Aert, it’s about finally claiming cycling’s biggest cobbled prize.