Belgium speculates on (marathon?) plans for Van der Poel, Van Aert expected to return to cyclo-cross sooner

Starting with Van der Poel, whose plans remain unclear. Will he even compete in cyclo-cross? And what about his road racing plans? In an interview, the Alpecin-Deceuninck star hinted at a dream of returning to mountain biking. Additionally, Het Nieuwsblad reports that the gravel world champion will run a half marathon in November (the 'Gran Carrera del Mediterranéo'). Yes, running — he is good at that too. "Everyone assumes that Van der Poel will indeed compete in cyclo-cross, if only because Erik De Vlaeminck's record, seven world titles, is within reach. With a world championship win in Liévin, Van der Poel could match De Vlaeminck, and possibly surpass him next year."

Clarification on his plans will likely take some time, as Van der Poel only announced his cyclo-cross schedule in December last year, indicating he would start competing at the end of the month. A clear road racing plan seems even further off. Therefore, everyone, including analyst José De Cauwer, will have to wait a bit longer. De Cauwer stated on Sporza on Tuesday that he hopes to see Van der Poel in the 2025 Tour de France. "Next year's Tour has a lot of opportunities for punchers like Van der Poel and riders over 70 kilograms, especially in the long first week. Many of those stages are labeled sprints, but towards the end, there are often climbs."

Read more below the photo.

For Van Aert, there's no question among the Belgians about whether he'll compete in cyclo-cross this winter. "The expectation is that Van Aert will return to cyclo-cross earlier this year than last, when he made his comeback at the Exact Cross in Essen on December 9," reports suggest. The Belgian from Visma | Lease a Bike is currently recovering from his crash in the recent Vuelta a España, but his recovery seems to be going smoothly, as you can tell from his Strava activities.

The exact timing of Van Aert’s return is still uncertain, with speculation around races like Kortrijk on November 23 or Herentals in mid-December. It's another puzzle for Visma | Lease a Bike, as they want their team leader fully involved in road training camps. On Tuesday, Van Aert was already widely linked to the 2025 Tour de France by his staff.