{"id":755827,"date":"2026-02-10T21:59:13","date_gmt":"2026-02-10T21:59:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/755827\/"},"modified":"2026-02-10T21:59:13","modified_gmt":"2026-02-10T21:59:13","slug":"it-feels-like-someone-is-protecting-mathieu-visma-hint-at-cruel-imbalance-shaping-van-aert-van-der-poel-rivalry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/755827\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cIt feels like someone is protecting Mathieu\u201d \u2013 Visma hint at cruel imbalance shaping Van Aert\u2013Van der Poel rivalry"},"content":{"rendered":"


\nThe remark lands in a season already defined by disruption for Van Aert. His winter was derailed by the ankle fracture sustained in the Zilvermeercross in Mol,<\/a> an injury that required surgery and brought his cyclocross<\/a> campaign to an abrupt end. While his recovery has progressed quickly enough to keep the Spring Classics firmly in sight, it added yet another complication to a preparation that rarely seems to run cleanly.<\/p>\n

That pattern has become familiar. Across recent seasons, Van Aert has navigated crashes, illness and ill-timed injuries, often arriving at the biggest cobbled races managing limitations rather than arriving with an uninterrupted build-up.<\/p>\n

Wagner did not present this as an excuse, but as a reality that has increasingly defined Visma\u2019s side of the rivalry. \u201cAnd then, on the other hand, it feels like we are the ones who are hit hard,\u201d he added, underlining the contrast between Van Aert\u2019s interrupted paths and Van der Poel\u2019s repeated ability to reach key moments with momentum intact.<\/p>\n

Confidence remains despite another setback<\/p>\n

Despite the latest injury, Visma remain convinced Van Aert will still be ready when it matters most. Wagner confirmed that the Belgian was able to fully participate in the team\u2019s training camp, even while still in the rehabilitation phase following surgery.<\/p>\n

\u201cWout is still in his rehabilitation phase and has a screw in his ankle,\u201d Wagner explained. \u201cBut it was well treated and he could fully take part in the training camp. He is currently at altitude.\u201d<\/p>\n

The fact Van Aert was back on the bike shortly after his crash, and able to complete long training sessions during the Spanish camp, has reassured the team that the foundations for the classics remain intact, even if once again tested.<\/p>\n

\u201cWout is a true professional,\u201d Wagner said. \u201cHe has a physiotherapist and his team around him in Belgium. Everything is being done to make sure he is fit and stays fit.\u201d<\/p>\n

The familiar spring confrontation<\/p>\n

The Spring Classics will again bring together the sport\u2019s defining figures. Van der Poel, Van Aert and Tadej Pogacar are all expected to line up, with Pogacar openly targeting Paris-Roubaix.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf everything goes well, Wout will start the Tour of Flanders and especially Paris-Roubaix in good form,\u201d Wagner said. \u201cI expect the same from Mathieu. And we absolutely cannot forget Tadej Pogacar.\u201d<\/p>\n

Yet even as Visma look ahead, the sense persists that Van Aert\u2019s battle is never only against rivals, but against circumstance itself.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf it comes down to a fight between the titans,\u201d Wagner concluded, \u201cthen I hope the cards finally fall in our favour and Wout wins Roubaix or Flanders. That would be fantastic.\u201d<\/p>\n

It is a sentiment that captures Visma\u2019s position perfectly. Van Aert has never lacked the ability to match Van der Poel. What he has lacked, time and again, is the uninterrupted run that allows the rivalry to be settled on equal terms.<\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The remark lands in a season already defined by disruption for Van Aert. His winter was derailed…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":599228,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[4104],"tags":[4230,184548,10102,79,180916,16,15,34351],"class_list":["post-755827","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-cycling","tag-cycling","tag-cyclocross","tag-mathieu-van-der-poel","tag-sports","tag-team-visma-lease-a-bike","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-wout-van-aert"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/116048583985529968","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/755827","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=755827"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/755827\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/599228"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=755827"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=755827"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=755827"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}