Comeback kid Van Aert immediately sets the tone in Essen: "But classics are my priority"

He came, he saw, he conquered. That is how we can describe Wout van Aert's return to cyclo-cross in the Exact Cross of Essen. The 29-year-old Jumbo-Visma rider broke away from his opponents midway through the race, and then - looking like a true miner, because of all the mud - he triumphantly soloed to victory. After the race, the winner addressed the cycling press who attended the event, including IDLProCycling.com.

Earlier in the day, about three hours before the start of the race in the Belgian province of Antwerp, we also spoke with Van Aert, who indicated that he expects to perform better during the Christmas period. The arch-rival of Mathieu van der Poel is indeed heading to Spain for a two-week training camp on Monday, December 11th. Although cyclo-cross is more a means to an end for Van Aert this season, he hopes to also reap the benefits of that training in the field. "This winter my strategy is really much more progressive. In the past, my focus was primarily on getting ready for that very first cyclo-cross race, followed by a rigorous cyclo-cross season before shifting gears to road racing. But now, my goal is to gradually increase my training intensity throughout winter, with an eye on the road racing season," he said.

Downplaying cyclo-cross expectations was not a matter of pulling wool over people's eyes, according to Van Aert

Fewer cyclo-cross training sessions or not, Van Aert impressively claimed the victory in Essenf. In the flash interview, he already shared that he found it an extremely tough race. "The conditions also got worse, so it was really a matter of persevering. I had a good feeling, even though it got tough towards the end, but it's also not an easy cyclo-cross to start with. I wanted to first see what the level would be like and who was strong. But the first rounds were very fast, and a few guys got ahead of themselves there. After those first rounds, I saw what suited me, and could use that to push through. At one point, the running section in the meadow really suited me. That's where I could strike," he already said.

After the podium and the ceremonial formalities, the Jumbo-Visma rider came back for another chat with the press. At that point, keeping in mind the statements of that morning and Wout's dominance that afternoon, he said that it was not a matter of misleading people. "I am always honest and people know that. I did not know how it would go, that's why I also started out cautiously. Fortunately, I made few mistakes. It got tough for me towards the end too. I felt better than I could have expected and it was nice to please the crowd."

Van Aert enjoys "playing in the mud"

On Monday, Van Aert can travel to Denia, Spain with a good feeling. The team camp there will last about nine days, followed by a team presentation in Amsterdam shortly afterwards. "And then the Christmas period is already quickly approaching," says the rider of the day, who cannot yet reveal much about the type of training he will be doing in Southern Europe. "I still have to discuss this with my trainer. In any case, I can say that the cyclo-cross bike is not coming with me. Of course, all training schedules these days are tailored to your main goal. And for me, that's the classics season."

While cyclo-cross is on the back burner a bit for him at the moment, Van Aert has certainly not lost his love for the sport. Even in tough weather conditions - rain was pouring down during the race in Essen - the Belgian remains a cyclo-cross lover at heart. "Otherwise, I obviously wouldn't come here. It might be hard for some people to understand, but riding around in such conditions is like playing in the mud for me." The cold and the rain seem to barely affect Van Aert, who also shares that he just doesn't really think about it during the race. "Also, I have always been able to handle it well."