A few days after Mathieu van der Poel, Wout van Aert has also announced his cyclocross schedule. It involves 'only' eight races, but what else catches our attention in the program of the three-time world champion?
The entire press release from Visma | Lease a Bike does not mention the Cyclocross World Championships at all. Last year, participation in the Worlds was flatly denied for a long time, except when team director Jan Boven revealed in a December conversation with our website that the team 'could still adjust the programs.' That eventually happened, one week before the championship, where Van Aert participated against all expectations.
This year, the team is taking a different communication approach for now. Not denying, but ignoring. The big difference compared to a year ago is that the Worlds course in Hulst is not exactly suited to the Belgian’s strengths. Whereas in Liévin he could still use his power on the uphill sections, that is not the case on the technical circuit in Hulst. Hence probably the choice for the Belgian Championships in Beringen, where a true climbing course awaits.
Even more than Mathieu van der Poel, Van Aert has made choices during the busy Christmas period. The three-time world champion never races three times in a row, while there are 12 races over 16 days during that festive period. In principle, Van Aert could have easily taken part in many more races, but of course, the road campaign takes priority. It is, after all, only with the classics in mind that Van Aert competes in cyclocross.
Are we seeing another duel? - photo: Fotopersburo Cor Vos
In total, Van Aert sticks to 'only' eight confrontations, while Van der Poel competes in eleven to thirteen races, nearly double in the most extreme case. In recent years, it has become clear that racing cyclocross only helps Van der Poel in his classics campaigns; Van Aert, however, lacked explosiveness in the spring classics and thus had to revisit the drawing board with his team.
The approach for this campaign could therefore be different than before. Last winter, Van Aert ended the season battered after a heavy crash in the Vuelta. Just before his first cyclocross race of the winter in Mol, Van Aert also fell ill. The conditions were tough for a perfect cyclocross winter, despite dominant wins in Dendermonde and Gullegem (without Van der Poel). That also contributed to his late participation in the Worlds.
This time, Van Aert was able to end his road season already in mid-September, take a rest, and then gradually build up again towards the cyclocross and road campaigns. Physically and mentally, a world of difference. Just like in 2022, he will stop racing cyclocross right after the Belgian Championships on January 11, allowing time for rest and training camps: in other words, the perfect buildup to the cobbled classics.
It’s unclear how Van Aert ultimately made those choices. His manager, Jef Van den Bosch, previously admitted that they try to weigh the interests of various organizers and keep both the people behind Golazo and Flanders Classics satisfied. With four races with Flanders Classics (which organizes both the Superprestige and the World Cup) and the same number with Golazo (including the X20 Badkamers Trophy, Exact Cross, and the Belgian Championships), they have succeeded perfectly.
Van Aert won last season in Dendermonde - photo: Fotopersburo Cor Vos
Notably, Diegem is the one missing out for the second year in a row. Not only for Van Aert but also for the seven-time world champion. We have enjoyed several great duels between the two in this evening race in the past, but precisely because this race takes place in the cold late December evenings, it might be less attractive. It is also one of the few independent events left in cyclocross land.
The riders themselves don’t focus on it that much, but in five of the eight races Van Aert will ride, he will also meet Mathieu van der Poel. This makes the races in Antwerp, Hofstade, Loenhout, Mol, and Zonhoven especially appealing for the fans. Last winter, due to Van Aert’s illness, there were only three confrontations, and a poor start at the Worlds meant the two rarely raced close to each other.
With better preparation than last year, it is expected that Van Aert will be stronger and that we might see that real duel the fans hope for. Van Aert also has some personal targets in the schedule, such as Dendermonde, Zolder, and the Belgian Championships, where he can do his own thing—in the world champion’s absence. Still, we’re confident that Van Aert is not deliberately avoiding his rival.
Wout van Aert
