In “This can’t be real life” news this weekend, cyclocross and road legend Wout van Aert broke the internet by revealing himself to be the squirrel on the Belgian edition of The Masked Singer. And then, not to be outdone, his chief rival, Mathieu van der Poel, raced against a rally car in Spain and won. Let’s recap.
Wout Van Aert as a Squirrel
You’ve probably seen the U.S. version of The Masked Singer, but if not, here’s the gist: celebrities don elaborate costumes, perform for a panel of judges, and gradually reveal their identities throughout the season. It’s a goofy spectacle—and a squirrel costume somehow fits perfectly within the chaos of the show.
Van Aert delivered an energetic rendition of Blur’s Song 2, and while most contestants appear multiple times, his other commitments limited his participation.
Van Aert’s reveal left everyone surprised, including his training partner Daan Soete. Reflecting on the performance, Soete told Sporza, “I listened to the voice, but I couldn’t connect it to Wout—mainly because he didn’t sing very well. It wasn’t until I saw the squirrel’s dance moves that I began to believe it was him.”
“I was looking forward to it, but I was also a bit nervous,” Van Aert admitted. “I expected a cute teddy bear costume, not a latex suit,” he joked about his outfit. When asked why he joined, the Belgian said the organizers invited him, and the timing just happened to work. “It felt like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” he explained.
You can catch a bit of his performance of Blur’s Song 2 here.
Mathieu van der Poel Is Racing Cars Now?
When you’ve beaten all the cyclists in the world, why not tackle something faster—like race cars? That seems to be Mathieu van der Poel’s mindset. At the La Nucia Cycling Criterium in Alicante, Spain, this weekend, MVDP lined up alongside world rally champion Sébastien Loeb, alongside other pros like Alejandro Valverde, Gianni Vermeersch, Pablo Castrillo, and others. Of course, Loeb was behind the wheel, while Van der Poel did what he does best: compete—and win.
In times like these, we could all use a good laugh. So, let’s take a moment to thank Van Aert and Van der Poel for adding some unexpected levity to our news feeds this weekend.
