It is still unclear whether Wout van Aert will travel to Rwanda at the end of September for the Road World Championships. Even the 30-year-old Belgian himself is uncertain. "I haven't thought about it yet, that's something for the coming days and weeks," he said before the Herentals criterium to VRT.
"No, I haven't talked to the national coach yet. I had enough work answering all the messages," Van Aert refers to the many reactions he received after his victory in the final stage of last Sunday's Tour de France. "I haven't thought about it yet. These are difficult questions, you know. A World Championship is always special, but it has to make sense."
Four days after his win on the Champs-Élysées, Van Aert is not fully recovered yet. "I tried, but I already had a few small parties. I don't feel completely fresh. But today it will be fine."
It has been known for some time that Van Aert is still keeping his distance and would only decide on a possible participation after the Tour. Some experts argue that the course would be too tough for classics riders like Van Aert, but national coach Serge Pauwels – who scouted Rwanda earlier this spring – does not fully agree. In an interview with our website, he pointed out the similarities between the Kimihurura climb on the World Championships route and the Butte Montmartre, where Van Aert launched his decisive attack last Sunday.
