Van Aert vs. van der Poel: A comparison of the Classics stars' race calendars
Thomas Goldmann
· 26.02.2025
The two rivals Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin - Deceuninck) and Wout van Aert (Team Visma | Lease a Bike) have already announced their race calendars for the 2025 season. Both riders are once again focussing on the prestigious spring classics, in particular the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix. Van der Poel, the reigning cyclocross world champion, will start the season on 10 March at the Tirreno-Adriatico long-distance race. The 30-year-old Dutchman then has the Milan-San Remo Monument (22 March), the E3 Saxo Classic (28 March), the Tour of Flanders (6 April) and Paris-Roubaix (13 April) on the agenda. Van Aert, on the other hand, started his season on 17 February at the Clásica Jaén, followed by the Tour of the Algarve and the Belgian "Opening Weekend" with Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne on 1 and 2 March.
Wout van Aert's 2025 race calendar
- Clásica Jaén (17.02.)
- Algarve-Rundfahrt (19.02.-23.02.)
- Omloop Het Nieuwsblad (01.03.)
- Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne (02.03.)
- E3 Saxo Classic (28.03.)
- Across Flanders (02.04.)
- Tour of Flanders (06.04.)
- Paris-Roubaix (13.04.)
- Arrow of Brabant (18.04. - subject to change)
- Amstel Gold Race (20.04. - subject to change)
- Giro d'Italia (09 May - 01 June)
- Tour de France (05.07.-27.07.)
The racing calendar of Mathieu van der Poel
- Tirreno-Adriatico (10.03.-16.03.)
- Milan-San Remo (22.03.)
- E3 Saxo Classic (28.03.)
- Tour of Flanders (06.04.)
- Paris-Roubaix (13.04.)
- Tour de France (05.07.-27.07.)
Different pre-season preparations and classic clashes
While van der Poel is starting his season a little later, van Aert is using the early races to find his form, which has not yet been where it should be. The first direct clash between the two superstars is expected at the E3 Saxo Classic on 28 March. Van Aert is also planning a start at the Cross Flanders on 2 April, a race that is not on van der Poel's calendar.
The rivals will then meet again at the two monuments, the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix. Van der Poel emphasised the special significance of the Tour of Flanders: "I would rather win the Ronde a fourth time than Ghent-Wevelgem for the first time," explained the Dutchman at his team's media day. With a fourth victory, he could become the sole record holder. For van Aert, the aim is to prevent this and defeat his great rival in a cobblestone monument for the first time. The Belgian has never managed this before. He has won one monument so far: Milan-San Remo 2020, while van der Poel has already won six monuments - three times Tour of Flanders, twice Paris-Roubaix and once Milan-San Remo.
Grand Tour ambitions and different season highlights
After the spring classics, the paths of the two exceptional riders will initially diverge. Van Aert could add the Arrow of Brabant (18 April) and the Amstel Gold Race (20 April) to his programme, as Visma-Performance manager Mathieu Heijboer recently revealed in the "Wielerorakel" podcast. A final decision on his participation in these two competitions will be made after Paris-Roubaix. In any case, van Aert is then planning his debut at the Giro d'Italia (9 May-1 June), where he wants to fight for stage wins. "After the spring classics, I will take part in the Giro d'Italia, where we will fight for stage wins," explained van Aert. A stage win would put him in the exclusive circle of riders who have won stages in all three Grand Tours. Van der Poel is skipping the Ardennes Classics and will then concentrate on the Tour de France (5-27 July), where he will once again meet his long-standing Belgian rival. The Dutchman is hoping for a stage win in the first week and will also be supporting his team-mate Jasper Philipsen in his sprint ambitions.
Van der Poel wants MTB World Championship title
After the Tour de France, the two rivals part ways again. Van der Poel is planning to switch to mountain biking and is aiming for the World Championships in Crans Montana, Switzerland, on 14 September. "After the Tour, I will definitely switch to mountain biking. It's an ideal time to concentrate on mountain biking again and to set the world championships as my goal after the Tour de France," explained van der Poel. He describes the mountain bike world championship title as the "last piece of the puzzle" that he is still missing. Van Aert's plans for the late summer and autumn, however, are not yet known.
Tadej Pogačar as a competitor in the classics
In addition to the direct duel between van der Poel and van Aert, Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates - XRG) will also play an important role in some of the spring classics. The Tour de France winner will line up against van der Poel at Milan-San Remo and will later also take part in the E3 Saxo Classic and the Tour of Flanders. With a Exploring the Arenberg forest he also fuelled speculation about a possible participation in Paris-Roubaix. Van der Poel expressed his respect for his rival: "If he decides to take part, he will be a tough opponent. He already proved that at the Tour of Flanders (Pogačar won the 2023 Ronde; editor's note). I had good legs there, but he left me behind on the Oude Kwaremont." Against Pogačar you "always have to give 110 per cent to have a chance", said the Dutchman.
