Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) is training hard in Girona, Spain, in preparation for the cyclocross season and a rematch with lifelong rival Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix).

The two clashed in Ghent-Wevelgem, with Van Aert blaming his rival's riding. But the 2020 road racing season was arguably better for Van der Pol, who won two silver medals in the Strade Bianche, Milan-San Remo, two stages of the Tour de France, and the World Championships road race and time trial. The two will soon clash again in a cyclo-cross race.

Van der Poel recently spent a week in Dubai laying the groundwork for a return to cyclocross in mid-December, and the two will face off for the first time at the X2O Trophy in Herentals on December 23, followed by other races, notably the World Cyclocross Championships in Oostende, Belgium. in Oostende, Belgium.

The COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic has made the 2020 season more challenging, but Van Aat seems ready to return to cyclocross and the intense rivalry with Van der Pol.

"I'm looking forward to fighting with Mathieu in the mud," Van Aert told his personal sponsor Red Bull in an interview, happy to rekindle the rivalry.

"I don't think cyclocross is easier for me. Even if I had the legs, it would be difficult to get close to him. I haven't been able to show much of myself in cyclocross over the last few years due to injuries and declining form, but I still want to get back to my best. This year I have been very good since the road season and I don't see myself going down in the field. I hope to be able to compete again, especially at the World Championships, with Mathieu and the others."

Het Nieuwsblad snooped through Van Aat's Strava training data and found that he climbed 511 km, or about 8,000 meters, on five different rides in Spain last week. He also rode 12 km and 6 km.

"I'm not a fan of the classics on the road, because they slow down your explosiveness," he said.

"In cyclocross you really need power, so I try to work on that. You have to sprint after every corner and you don't need as much endurance as you do on the road. Dirt requires special training, but in Spain we did intervals of a minute or half a minute on the road.

Van Aert downplayed his chances and form in the early races, but is eager to return to racing.

"For the time being, I made very short preparations for the cyclocross season. I opted to return to racing as soon as possible because that seemed most important for January. I am certainly not in the best condition."

"I will run three cyclo-cross races and train to be in the best shape from the Christmas period. I need to improve a lot to be on par with the cross specialists.

"Of course, Mathieu has always been one of my most important competitors. He has been the benchmark in cyclocross for many years and that will not change. I think Eli Iserbyt and Toon Aerts are also great rivals, as was the case last year. 0]

After the cyclo-cross season, VanArt turns to road racing once again, with longer training rides to prepare for the spring classics.

He doesn't seem bothered by the extra racing, training, and expectations required to compete in both cyclocross and road racing.

"Sometimes I wonder what I'm doing to myself by having such a busy schedule. But other riders have their next goal in February or spring, and I couldn't wait that long," he admitted.

"I have one goal after another to keep me on track. I also have a lot of smart people behind me, coaches leading the way and always making sure it's physiologically feasible. I have short rest periods at different times during the season, and it all combines well

"The important thing is to believe in yourself. If you think you can't do it in advance, it won't work."

Looking back on a very successful 2020 road racing season, van Aal is proud of his success in the Tour de France, but admits that losing the Tour of Flanders to Van der Pol still hurts. He battled with sprinters for stage wins and fought hard in the mountains for Jumbo Visma team leader Primoz Roglic. He is already considered a future candidate for the green points jersey or a Grand Tour rider.

"I am happy with my performance in the Tour of Flanders, even though it wasn't perfect. I had a fall, but in the end I rode well and I was just a few centimeters away.

"It was my last race (of the season), so for a few days I was constantly thinking about what could have gone differently and why it didn't work out. It took some effort to process that disappointment."

"After the Tour, missing out on winning both the World Championships and the Tour of Flanders was hard for me as a winner.

"In the World Championships I lost to a better rider than myself, but in the Tour of Flanders it was still very close. If I had to pick a race that I hate to look back on, it would be the Tour de Flanders.

The Tour de France was filled with happy memories, but it was a huge disappointment when I witnessed Tadej Pogacar snatch the overall win from Roglic.

"I think the Tour was the highlight of the year for everyone. It was the most important race anyway, and in this Coronavirus year it was very important for our sport to continue," Van Aert noted.

"We had big ambitions to win the Tour de France and we almost succeeded. It was great to win two stages in the first week, and I'm very happy to have done so.

"Personally, I am most proud of the last mountain stage where I finished third. To finish in the overall fight was something I never dreamed of.

"The last time trial was also special. That sudden turnaround was not a good moment for us, but I will never forget being there. I saw Pogachar win and Primoz go down. It wasn't fun to be in the losing camp, but sporting history was being made right before our eyes."

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