Fans who still can't get enough of the showdown between Mathieu van der Pol (Alpecin Deceuninck) and Wout van Art (Jumbo Visma) can watch the two riders mark each other's every move in at least four spring classics.

Both riders will kick off the 2023 road season on March 4 at Strade Bianche, with Van Aert winning the 2020 race, which was postponed to August due to the COVID-19 epidemic, but was run off by Julian Alaphilippe and Egan Bernal in 2021 Van der Pol won the race.

Last season, Tadey Pogachar (UAE Team Emirates) won the Strade Bianche after a solo 50 km run. However, van der Pol said he is targeting this race again this year.

The van Aal/van der Pol rivalry dates back to their junior days and will not be put to rest any time soon.

After beating Van Aert at Hogelheide, Van der Pol said, "If you take away one of the two of us, it certainly makes the race less interesting."

"I've been doing cyclocross and road for a few years and I'm already getting better. You may not appreciate it when you lose, but when you look back on your career, it will be special."

Van Aert was more succinct, posting a photo on social media of him racing with Van der Pol on Sunday, "I hate it. I love it," and added the comment, "I love it.

Their love-hate relationship will continue after the Milan-San Remo Strade Bianche, which Van Aert won in 2020. Van der Pol's best result was third last year behind solo attacker Matej Mohoric (Bahrain Victorious).

The next showdown will be at the Tour of Flanders, where Van der Pol beat Van Aert in 2020 in a sprint win that was closer than Hogelheide's. He won again last season while Van Aert was out with COVID.

The final round of the Spring Classics will take place in Paris-Roubaix. Van der Pol finished third on the podium behind Sonny Colbrelli in 2021, while Van Aert won the sprint last year with a second place behind lone runner-up Dylan van Baar (Ineos).

Both riders will compete in the Tour de France, but in very different roles. Van der Pol will have free rein as the leader of a team without a GC leader, while van Aal will once again have the dual roles of fighting for the green jersey and superdomestique for defending champion Jonas Vingegaard.

But it's not all about the two biggest names in cyclocross. Tom Pidcock (Ineos) has announced his participation in Strade Bianche, Milan-San Remo, and the Tour de Flanders. He missed the World Cyclocross Championships after injuring his knee in GP Sven Nys on New Year's Day.

Julien Alaphilippe, whose 2022 Classics campaign was ruined by a crash in Strade Bianche and a fall in Liège-Bastogne-Liège, is targeting the Tour de Flanders this year. He will also compete in Strade Bianche and Milan-San Remo.

Meanwhile, Pogachar will try to disrupt his rivals in Strade Bianche and the Tour de Flanders.

Additionally, Valentin Maduas (Groupama-FDJ) is focusing on the spring classics after finishing on the podium at last year's Tour de Flanders.

Quinn Simmons (Trek-Segafredo) will prove to be as good as a "van" in Strade Bianche, Tour de Flanders, and Paris-Roubaix. Biniam Girmay (Intermarché Circus Wanty), who made history as the first black African winner in Ghent-Wevelgem, will defend this title and also compete in Milan-San Remo, Tour of Flanders, and Paris-Roubaix.

As the World Cyclocross Championships suggest, the Classics season will be timeless.