MVDP Victims: Toon Aerts

At 25 years old, Mathieu van der Poel has racked up quite a results sheet in a short amount of time. What we love about van der Poel however is the way in which he wins races. When he goes, it is as if there is nobody who can stand in his way. 

The way van der Poel dispenses of veteran riders with apparent ease inspired this video series. 

This week FloBikes will be highlighting some of van der Poel's top victims. 

Toon Aerts 

Toon Aerts has had the misfortune of dealing with van der Poel in cyclocross races since they were in the juniors. Aerts has managed to get the better of van der Poel on occasion. 

The 2019 UCI Cyclocross World Cup in Namur looked as if it was going to be Aerts' day. The two riders exchanged the lead multiple times throughout the epically cold and muddy day. 

On the final lap, Aerts crashed, fracturing multiple ribs, which allowed the world champion to claim another victory. While van der Poel claimed Aerts as a victim that day, the duo pushed each other to the absolute limit and treated fans to one of the best cyclocross races of the season.