Meeusen rode with Van Aert at Telenet-Fidea: "But he's such a star now that I don't talk to him anymore"

The Exact Cross of Essen was mainly dominated by the cyclo-cross comeback of Wout van Aert. However, for home rider Tom Meeusen (who eventually finished twelfth), the muddy race held a different kind of significance, as his fan club ceased to exist. Before the mud fest, he spoke about this in more detail with IDLProCycling.com!

The cyclo-cross career and the overflowing palmares of podiums and victories of the now 35-year-old Meeusen obviously need no further explanation. We also know the friendly Flemish rider for his technical skills, which he has displayed in various ways over the years. This technique often earned him the nickname 'Ice King', as he was very adept on snowy or icy courses. Add to that his entertaining 'bunny hop' shows (with jumps of more than 75 centimeters high) and you are talking about an extremely talented and celebrated cyclo-cross rider.

Meeusen found a spot in Marc Herremans' Athletes for Hope team

However, in Essen - on Saturday, December 9, 2023 - a somewhat different reality prevails. A significant number of fans from Meeusen's fan club have come to his camper. Not to celebrate a victory, but to officially mark the end of the fan club. "My fan club has come to an end, mainly because there isn't much excitement surrounding my name anymore. When you really belong to the top riders, people organize all sorts of things around you. Now, I'm simply one of the riders in the top ten or top twenty. The hype has somewhat faded," he tells this website in his camper - the weather in Essen was indeed dreadful. "In the past, they would sometimes collect money for trips abroad, but that's no longer the case. We also don't sell fan merchandise anymore. The money that was still in the club's treasury has been donated to charity and to the foundation of Marc Herremans, who has started his own team with his ‘Athletes for Hope’ project," he says, turning the conversation towards his employer.

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A trip down memory lane: Meeusen demonstrates how to do a bunny hop

The nearly 50-year-old Herremans is a well-known figure in the sports world. In 2002, the former triathlete became paralyzed and confined to a wheelchair as a result of a cycling accident. The Flemish athlete continued to compete in alternative ways for many years, ending his sports career about fifteen years ago. Since then, Herremans has focused on motivational speaking and coaching athletes through his own team, which includes Meeusen. "The sponsors of the team support not only the sports part, but also various rehabilitation trajectories. It's a very beautiful project and it's even one of the reasons why I started racing again," says Meeusen.

After a short period as a mechanic, Meeusen felt the itch to race again

Start racing again? Absolutely. Meeusen had declared in mid-December 2022 - coincidentally after the home race in Essen - that he was hanging up his bike. "Thank you for those beautiful years," he wrote back then. However, blood will out, and so Meeusen returned to cyclo-cross last summer. "I worked as a mechanic in a bike shop for about six months. I really enjoyed that, but at the same time, I also noticed that I still loved sports. I had been involved in elite sports for a long time, and so I started feeling the itch to race again," he clarifies his comeback story. "Considering my age, I also couldn't wait another two years. If I wanted to get back into racing, I had to do it quickly. Your condition deteriorates quite rapidly. It was great that I could join a team close to home. Also, it's nice that Marc guides me very well, and I can work on myself as best as possible."

"At first, I thought that if I walked away from the sport, I really wouldn't feel the need to return or stay in the scene," he continues his story. "During those six months in the bike shop, I tried my best to think about the sport as little as possible, apart from the fact that I was a bit overtrained before that and could really use the rest. But it turned out that I secretly missed it. I simply love racing too much and enjoy being a part of that world."

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Meeusen tries to impose as little pressure and expectations on himself as possible

When we then ask Meeusen about his 'new' goals in cyclo-cross, he tells us that he mainly doesn't want to expect too much. "I might still aspire to achieve something in certain races, but I also have to be realistic about myself. If you set the bar high and then can't achieve that particular result, you'll just end up disappointed. I prefer to avoid those disappointments, especially because until last year, I couldn't meet my own expectations anymore. So, everything I do now is essentially good. I also don't want to put too much pressure on myself. So, I am starting with the idea of: whatever will be, will be."

In principle, Meeusen tries to ride as many races as possible, although as a Belgian, it is sometimes difficult to start in certain places. "In cyclo-cross Belgium, it's quite difficult to get into certain selections. It's actually quite strange: in some World Cup rounds, only 35 men are at the starting lone, but I, for example, can't ride. It's comparable to speed skating in the Netherlands: there's only a certain number of spots for a large group of interested parties. Many great skaters stay away from the big tournaments. I certainly don't want to compare myself to those guys, but at its core, it's similar. So, for me, it's a bit like riding the interim program."

Does Meeusen find it a pity that he narrowly didn't make it into the World Cup selections? "Of course, it's still a pity if you're not in the selection, especially if you were close to getting in. If I then ride close to some of the selected guys, it's extra hard. But I simply can't expect from myself that I'm going to try to make it again," he says realistically. "Because if it doesn't work out, you're disappointed for a very long time. And then it's also not worth being in a bad mood for a week because of something like that. That also takes away the joy of cycling. And now, with my new approach to racing, having fun just takes precedence."

Van Aert and Meeusen (former Telenet-Fidea teammates) know each other well: "But don't talk to each other anymore"

In Essen, due to the weather conditions, things were slightly less busy than usual. However, it was super busy at the Jumbo-Visma bus. Everyone wanted to catch a first glimpse of Wout Van Aert. Meeusen and Van Aert also know each other well, although there is no (longer) close contact. "Wout rode in the youth categories at Telenet-Fidea. At that time, I was already in the elite team. We do know each other well, but he has become such a star in recent years that I no longer speak to him. It's more that I see the amazing things he does on television."

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So no training sessions with Van Aert. With whom, then? "Everyone has such a different program that it's difficult to really train together. In the past, I often went out with David van der Poel, who has also now retired. Jim Aernouts and Bart Aernouts used to be training partners of mine, but of course, they have also stopped. Sometimes it's just a matter of who you come across on the road."

Meeusen returned to the field last summer. Does he intend to continue for a long time, or is that a bit too much to ask? "I have secured a pro contract again. After the season, I will discuss with Marc what the smartest move is. Does it make sense to continue? Is it still good for the team and his project? Those questions will then be answered," says the cheerful cyclist. "I enjoy cycling, so if it's up to me, I'd like to race for another year. But if it's not profitable, it's not profitable. In that context, I am also honest with myself and the team. So, we'll see, although I do think there's still some room for growth. But again: I certainly won't be setting difficult goals to achieve."