Alex MacQuoid
As the Tour de France looms on the horizon, cycling legend Johan Museeuw has weighed in on the titanic talents of Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel — and offered a striking comparison to none other than Tadej Pogacar. Speaking to Wieler Revue, the former classics kingpin didn’t hold back in his admiration, or his nostalgia.
Museeuw’s Hypothetical Return
“If someone gives me a pill to make me thirty years younger, I will accept that immediately,” Museeuw joked, his tone equal parts wistful and competitive. “I would have no problem competing with this generation. I am not going to say that I would be as strong as Mathieu van der Poel or Wout van Aert, but I would still compete hard.”
Van Aert’s Monumental Potential
Though the spring classics have faded into the rearview, questions remain about Van Aert’s elusive quest for a cobbled monument. Despite Pogacar’s stunning Paris-Roubaix win — a performance that redefined his dominance beyond the Alps — Museeuw still believes in Van Aert’s capabilities.
“If he is one hundred percent and everything goes well, then yes, he can. After Pogacar, he may well have the biggest engine in the peloton,” Museeuw asserted. That’s a statement of rare praise, especially from a rider whose own engine once dominated Flanders and Roubaix alike.
From Giro Grit to Tour Ambitions
Van Aert’s spring campaign looked promising until illness disrupted his trajectory. Yet even at less than full capacity, he managed to claw his way to form in the Giro d’Italia, taking victory on the demanding sterrato stage and playing a pivotal role in Simon Yates’ GC triumph. That versatility and grit haven’t gone unnoticed.
“I think he will win two stages in the Tour de France, because he is finally thinking about himself. He is too much of a team player,” Museeuw observed. “What he did in the Giro was great, but if you then saw the 2023 World Championship in Glasgow… Van der Poel did a few lead-outs in the Tour, but at the Worlds he was gone in the final lap.”
The Balance Between Teamwork and Legacy
Museeuw didn’t shy away from critiquing Van Aert’s generous racecraft. “In the Netherlands you might say that he should be more of an asshole, but in Belgium we just say that he is too much of a team player. That is why he is so sympathetic to people, and that is also nice. But at the end of your career, two things count: first your record and then your wallet.”
On both counts, Van Aert’s trajectory is solid, yet still unfinished. “The latter will be fine for Wout. The first one too, but actually the Ronde and Roubaix should be added,” Museeuw emphasized. “Van der Poel has already won both three times… He is the rider who is going to break my record. Not that I mind, because I have a lot of sympathy for Mathieu.”
From one Flandrien to the next generation, Museeuw’s reflections are both a challenge and a blessing — a reminder that the cobbled legacy remains the ultimate prize.