Eight cyclocross races between the World Cup in Antwerp (on December 20) and the Belgian Championship in Beringen (on January 11), that is Wout van Aert's tentative cyclocross schedule. Head of Performance at Visma | Lease a Bike and Van Aert’s coach, Mathieu Heijboer, does not rule out adding the World Championships, but at the moment it does not seem the most realistic scenario. We now know the approach of the former world champion: everything gives way to the road season.
"That’s why it wasn’t challenging to put together this plan," Heijboer told our website. "We talked quite a while ago about which period Wout wanted to race cyclocross, how that would fit into his preparation for the road season, and which training camps we would do. Wout quickly made a proposal himself with several races, with the Belgian Championship as the final goal of the period. That was quickly settled."
What is the mindset behind this cyclocross campaign?
"It's basically the same as in previous years. A compact period of cyclocross racing, with enough recovery time and occasional opportunities for solid training. The main sporting goal is clearly in April. The aim of the cyclocross campaign is primarily to have fun—and to give something back to the fans. It is still Wout’s great passion."
"This time there is a clear end goal with the Belgian Championship. Winning a jersey is very motivating. It has been a long time since Wout last raced there—and it’s a great race to positively conclude his campaign. He wants that title, there's no beating around the bush. We will build towards a very strong level that enables him to become champion."
Why is this now possible? Normally, aren’t you usually at training camp at that time?
"The starting point is always that we respect the dates of our training camps with the road team. We won’t compromise or make concessions there. Only now we’re going a bit later than in previous years. In that respect, everything fits together well. On January 12, the day after the Belgian Championship, we travel to Spain to stay there until January 24."
Van Aert still took part in Liévin – photo: Fotopersburo Cor Vos
Is the World Championship still on the schedule?
"I’m not completely ruling out the World Championships. For us, the door is slightly ajar. We’ll make that decision later, but for now, the Worlds are not part of our plans."
Last year we saw that plans can always change. Does it make a difference that he seems to have less chance on the technical course in Hulst than in Liévin against Mathieu van der Poel?
"That might play a minor role, but the main thing is that his primary goals lie in the spring. From that perspective, we want to consciously focus on preparing for the road season. If at some point we see he feels so good, cyclocross goes well, he recovers properly, and is ahead of schedule, then the possibility may arise. But then the other training sessions must not suffer."
How realistic is that?
"That’s something you can only really judge when you see how Wout feels at that moment. Last year the door seemed much closer, and then it still opened. On his own initiative. For now, the door remains closed but not sealed shut. It’s always a dilemma. In that respect, the Worlds simply don’t fit ideally on the calendar if you want to perform well in the classics shortly after."
In any case, the difference in preparation seems big compared to last year. Then Van Aert came out of the Vuelta battered and also got sick before the cross in Mol.
"That’s why we couldn’t draw any conclusions from last winter. At the end of November, we didn’t even know if racing cyclocross was feasible at all, as Wout couldn’t even run then. He started the cyclocross season from a very different baseline. It still went reasonably well, but he was far from the best Wout in cyclocross. Now he has been training for six weeks without physical issues, and that’s a world of difference. Condition-wise, we can expect much more."
How important was it that this rest was also mental? Wout actually stopped his road season quite early, enabling him to truly rest for the first time in a long while.
"It’s all connected, but the reason for ending early was to be able to start training again on time. But with a fresh mind. Although he stopped relatively early, he had already done two Grand Tours and a full Classics campaign. It didn’t make much sense to keep going longer, and that was also clear from his last races. After that, he could rest early and start cycling again."
Van Aert aims to close the gap on Pogacar and MVDP – photo: Fotopersburo Cor Vos
What we took from his spring is that with a better sprint and explosiveness, he could have won some great races. Should cyclocross now contribute to that?
"Not necessarily cyclocross 'per se'. He has generally started training from a better position. His level is higher, so he’s progressing each time. He is in much better shape than last year. Hopefully, that will also show in a more explosive Wout in the spring. But that’s still far off."
To what extent did those two Grand Tours contribute to that improved Wout?
"One hundred percent. That was also the reason why we let him ride a full season. Our analysis shows that whenever riders miss longer periods of competition, they don’t immediately come back strong. Occasionally, they get a good result or race, but to regain consistency and keep improving, you need that consistency in both races and training."
Was 2024 then a kind of transition year?
"Wout certainly would have liked to win more, and there were moments when he didn’t have the level he wanted, but it was also a huge investment after the disastrous 2024 season."
How strong is the belief that after a good winter, Wout will close the gap with Mathieu van der Poel and Tadej Pogacar in the classics?
"Of course, we still believe that. Obviously, Mathieu and Tadej are incredible talents who can and want to win wherever they start. But we see enough signs to still find the best version of Wout. What didn’t work two years ago because of that crash, and last year due to the aftermath of that awful season. Do we say it’s easy? No. But we really believe in it. It would be strange if we didn’t."
"We’re putting together a very strong team again to get Wout in the best possible position to challenge them. In that respect, we won’t draw big conclusions from the winter. Wout will be in better shape than last year. Hopefully, that means he is competitive with Mathieu van der Poel. That would be a good sign. But even if things go very well, it doesn’t guarantee a great spring. Or vice versa."
Wout van Aert| Race | Date |
|---|---|
 Strade Bianche | 7 Mar |
| Milano-Sanremo | 21 Mar |
| Ronde van Vlaanderen | 5 Apr |
 Paris-Roubaix | 12 Apr |
| Tour de France | 4 Jul - 26 Jul |
 Vuelta a España | 22 Aug - 13 Sep |
 UCI World Championship Montréal | 27 Sep |
