It was to lick the thumbs and fingers, those last days of the year. The first crossen of the Christmas period were mighty and epic! In this most beautiful period for the cyclocross lovers, it was especially the Two Matadors Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert that made it so beautiful. Blistering duels were fought and it was four hits in five days. In this article we answer the question: when will Van der Poel and Van Aert cross against each other again in the remaining 2023 crosses?
The most beautiful time of the year thanks to Matje and Wout
That magical Christmas period in cyclocross, where some ten cyclo-crosses are held in a two-week span, may be more beautiful than ever this 2022/2023 cyclocross season. And that is mainly due to the presence of Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel. In early December in Antwerp, the two eternal rivals faced off again for the first time. Once again it was Mathieu van der Poel who proved the strongest. And where Matje was absent a week later in Dublin, the Belgian from Jumbo-Visma then managed to win again until the two met again the day before Christmas in the Exact Cross in Mol – the Zilvermeercross. And this time it was Van Aert who prevailed in this direct duel. The Dutchman and the Belgian, who have been fighting each other in the mud and clay since they were teenagers, went into the holiday season with a 1-1 tie.
This tie did not last long, because we all knew that on Boxing Day it would be ball again. The entire Big Three was on the date and the World Cup in Gavere was at stake. After a nerve-wracking and nerve-racking cross, it was Mathieu van der Poel who could take revenge for his second place in Mol and struck: 2-1 for the Dutchman.
The three consecutive crosses – the Telenet Superprestige Heusden-Zolder on Dec. 27, the Telenet Superprestige in Diegem on Dec. 28 in the evening and the Azencross in Loenhout on Friday afternoon, Dec. 30 – were all won by Wout van Aert. But in each cross it was done with great spectacle.
Titanic duels in sweltering Christmas period
Old times revived. Not seen for a long time. Crossheroics of the highest order. Superlatives to spare, in newspapers, podcasts and from the on-site commentary booths. The spectators at the scene, and at home on the couch, were treated to exceptionally exciting crosses, where the two pushed each other to the limit. Mathieu van der Poel even left Het Nieuwsblad with a true Tour of Flanders-feeling from the direct duels with Van Aert in Gavere and Heusden-Zolder.
Anyway, to the point. We hear you thinking. It was all wonderful, I saw it myself, but when do Van der Poel and Van Aert cross against each other again in 2023? Fortunately, we still get some delicious clashes between the two top riders, some of which are still to come this Christmas season.
While both Van der Poel and Van Aert will skip the traditional GP Sven Nys in Baal on New Year’s Day, the two will both be at the start of the X20 Bathrooms Trophy in Herentals on Tuesday, January 3. Indeed, a home race for Van Aert. Can the Belgian run out to a 2-4 there or will Van der Poel equalize in the Hol van de Leeuw?
Two days later, on Thursday, Jan. 5, the Vlaamse Duinencross in Koksijde is the setting for another potential spectacle. The course lends itself to a perfect new one-on-one duel. But, don’t discount Eli Iserbyt here either. Who will win here?
As if that wasn’t enough that first week of the year 2023, there are two more cyclocross races scheduled on Saturday, Jan. 7 and Sunday, Jan. 8 – where Matje and Wout both start. Saturday, January 7, it’s time for the Superprestige Gullegem and Sunday, January 8, in the World Cup at Zonhoven, guys like Laurens Sweeck and Lars van de Haar will also be looking to ride for the expensive points.
After a two-week gap, Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert will also meet again in Benidorm, where a first will take place. In the Spanish seaside resort – where you can gravel brilliantly in the inlands, the first World Cup cross will take place.
After the spring already beckons for both, with the Omloop het Nieuwsblad 2023 already scheduled a month later, we can watch one more clash on Flemish soil in Hamme until finally Sunday, February 5, 2023. The high mass in cyclocross. The Tour of Flanders, the Tour de France and the World Championships on the road all in one for cyclocross, and it will be in Hoogerheide in the Netherlands, indeed, the home of the Van der Poel family. Which of the two will once again crown himself world champion in the field there?
When will Van der Poel and Van Aert cross against each other again in the remaining 2023 crosses?
03-01 X2O Trophy Herentals
05-01 X2O Trophy Koksijde – Vlaamse Duinencross
07-01 Superprestige Gullegem
08-01 UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup Zonhoven
22-01 UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup Benidorm
28-01 X2O Trophy Hamme – Flandriencross
05-02 UCI Cyclocross World Championships Hoogerheide
For the sake of completeness you can also find below the full program Christmas cyclocross 2022/2023
December
Monday 26-12-2022: Gavere (Bel) World Cup
Live on Eurosport 1, NOS and Sporza, with Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert
Tuesday 27-12-2022: Heusden-Zolder (Bel) Superprestige
Live on Eurosport 1. Summary on Sporza, with Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert
Wednesday 28-12-2022: Diegem night cross (Bel) Superprestige
Live on Eurosport 1 and Sporza, with Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert
Please note: Diegem is an evening cross, the women start at 19:00, the men at 20:45
Friday 30-12-2022: Loenhout Azencross (Bel) Exact Cross
Live on Eurosport 1, with Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert
January
Sunday 01-01-2023: Baal GP Sven Nys (Bel) X²O Bathrooms Trophy
Live on Eurosport 1 and Sporza
Tuesday 03-01-2023: Herentals Cross (Bel) X²O Bathrooms Trophy
Live on Eurosport 1 and Sporza, with Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert
Thursday 05-01-2023: Koksijde (Bel) X²O Bathrooms Trophy
Live on Eurosport 1 and Sporza, with Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert
Saturday 07-01-2023: Cyclocross Gullegem (Bel) Superprestige
Live on Eurosport 1 and Sporza, with Wout van Aert
Sunday 08-01-2023: Zonhoven (Bel) World Cup
Live on Eurosport 1 and NOS. Summary on Sporza, with Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert
More Cyclocross? Read also our Dutch preview and programma Van der Poel en Van Aert veldrijden 2023