Van Aert, Vingegaard, and Ferrand-Prévot name their favorite opponent: "He really pushes me to the limit"
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Follow us on GoogleFor some, their favorite duels have already been settled, while others know that their ultimate battle is yet to come. Wout van Aert against Mathieu van der Poel, Jonas Vingegaard against Tadej Pogacar, Olav Kooij against Jonathan Milan... Cycling fans love it, but against which opponent do the leaders of Visma | Lease a Bike most want to compete? The team explored this question in a funny video.
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The video features Van Aert, Vingegaard, Matteo Jorgenson, Cian Uijtdebroeks, Simon Yates, Victor Campenaerts, Tiesj Benoot, and women's lead rider Pauline Ferrand-Prévot. Some of the riders' answers were surprising, but others were obvious. Some gave logical explanations, while others kept it short and sweet with a smile.
Ferrand-Prévot, the winner of Paris-Roubaix, has no idea who her favorite road opponent is yet, but she will find out this year. This is, of course, due to her switch from mountain biking to road cycling last winter. The Olympic mountain biking champion does, however, know who her favorite opponent in that discipline was: "Puck Pieterse."
Read more below the photo.

Van Aert prefers to race against Van der Poel
The men all gave different answers. Two-time Tour winner Vingegaard says he prefers to compete against his biggest rival, Tadej Pogacar. Fortunately for the Dane, he won't have to wait too long, as they will face each other again on June 8 in the first stage of the Critérium du Dauphiné.
While preparing for his first Giro d'Italia, Van Aert says he prefers to race against his eternal rival Mathieu van der Poel. "He really pushes me to the limit," said the Belgian. This is not a surprising response, considering that van der Poel and van Aert have known each other since childhood, both on the cyclo-cross bike and the road. This spring, the Dutchman was much stronger, winning Milan-Sanremo and Paris-Roubaix. Van Aert failed to win a single classic.

Yates laughs: "I'm the better of the two"
Simon Yates was also asked the question and came up with a very logical answer. "Against my brother," said the 32-year-old rider, referring to Adam Yates of UAE Team Emirates-XRG. When asked who is better, Simon confidently answers with a big smile. "Me, of course, that's not even a question."
Belgian riders Benoot and Campenaerts are both in a joking mood in the video. Jorgenson chooses Primoz Roglic (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe), while Uijtdebroeks chooses Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates-XRG). Be sure to check out the video below!
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Latest Comments
- I’m still learning the calendar: is cyclocross mainly preparation for the spring classics, or does he race it as a separate goal as well? I’d love to see him back in the mud.jeremya04-11-2026
- The article makes it sound as if Roubaix is the only classic where he has a realistic shot. He’s been close in Flanders too, and one good tactical day can change everything.jennifer1904-11-2026
- Milan-Sanremo and Roubaix is a pretty special pair of Monuments. Any clues yet on which cyclocross races he’ll target?andrewf04-11-2026
- He’s right to be realistic about Flanders with Pogačar and Evenepoel around, but you can’t count Van Aert out on those roads. If he gets the right opportunity, he has the engine and experience to take it.davidm04-11-2026
- That Roubaix win felt like such a release after all the near-misses. Brilliant to hear that joy outweighed relief for Wout.patriciaw04-11-2026
- Why would a mountain time trial be different from a normal one? Is it just that the riders have to climb the whole course?samanthak03-11-2026
- I don’t quite buy the “fear of failure” argument. Riders can race the Giro and still have confidence in July; it comes down to recovery and planning, doesn’t it?patriciaw03-11-2026
- The Giro-Tour double is a massive ask, even for the very best. Pogačar made it look almost routine in 2024, but that’s hardly a sensible benchmark for everyone else!pedalpowe2903-11-2026
- Bakelants makes a fair point: if the 2027 Tour really suits Remco, he can’t afford to dilute the build-up. That 37km flat TT will be tempting, mind.julien03-11-2026
- Mont Blanc sounds like a spectacular finish, though four climbs on the final day might be a bit much after eight hard stages. Hope the route details are clear soon.raceready703-11-2026


