"Far from his peak," yet a World Championship: How Van Aert laid the foundation for this decision in Spain

The announcement that Wout van Aert would indeed participate in the Cyclo-cross World Championships in Liévin came as a surprise to almost everyone. Even Mathieu van der Poel admitted he was "shocked" by the news. But was it really so unexpected? Upon closer inspection, the training camp in Spain might have been the turning point.

In mid-January, Visma | Lease a Bike travelled to La Nucia for a training camp. By then, Van Aert had already competed in three cyclo-cross races, winning two of them. He was dominant in the Dendermonde World Cup, and afterward, he admitted that’s when he started to feel the itch. His form kept improving, and in Spain, he continued working on his fitness with his Dutch team.

Around Benidorm, the camp kicked off with a ride of just over 90 kilometers. Though it wasn’t particularly long, Van Aert still managed to climb 2,000 meters. Along the way, he logged some impressive times on various segments, although no KOMs were achieved. Even so, Van Aert himself hadn’t expected his level to be this good so early on.

Read more below the Strava file!

Van Aert increases training intensity and impresses Visma | Lease a Bike

As the week progressed, the training rides became longer and more challenging. A day after his first ride, he completed a 121-kilometer ride. This marked an important step: on January 16, Van Aert recorded his third-best power output ever over 30 seconds. The fact that he achieved this during a training camp, while his knee still wasn’t fully healed, speaks volumes about his potential performance at the World Championships.

However, his coach Mathieu Heijboer tried to challenge that with HLN: “He will be a long way from his peak form. This winter we did not train with the World Championships in mind, but focused on the spring. The cyclo-cross races were then scheduled as training moments that were combined with fun. We also didn't let him ride too many cyclo-cross races because otherwise it would have impacted his road season too much. He is achieving a high base level, but his level at the World Championships will not be much different from the level he had on Saturday in Maasmechelen."

Read more below the Strava file!

Recovery ability and running sessions: Van Aert had already dropped plenty of hints

On Friday, two days before the Benidorm World Cup where he finished fourth, Van Aert casually posted a ride of over 170 kilometers on Strava. And after his grueling effort on Sunday? There was no rest for the Visma | Lease a Bike rider, as he logged another 150-kilometer training ride on Monday. While he didn’t break any records, his recovery ability was clearly on point — and recovery is step one toward peak performance.

After Spain, he returned to Herentals. His cyclo-cross season was almost over, but Van Aert kept pushing hard. What stood out was the high number of running sessions he incorporated. In December, his specific cyclo-cross training had been relatively low. With the season nearing its end, you wouldn’t expect him to focus on running. Yet, it was clear that Van Aert was on a mission.

Read more below the Strava file!

Heijboer deliberately chose not to make Van Aert's World Championship a goal

The Belgian cyclo-cross star’s Strava account tells a story. His progress is evident, and last week’s training sessions suggest a plan that had been in the works longer than people realized. And let's face it: if Van Aert didn’t think he could win, he wouldn’t bother with the World Championships. We’re already salivating at the prospect of Sunday! Heijboer knows that, too. "There's a difference between putting the cyclo-cross World Championships on Wout's schedule as early as September and then, like now, deciding at the last minute to participate."

What does he mean by that? "If the World Championship had been on his schedule before winter, Wout would have been preparing for it in a completely different way. Then we would have really peaked his form curve. When he wanted to become world champion in Hoogerheide two years ago, he was already training hard and spending time in his altitude tent in November. Normally, he wouldn't go to a World championships with his current condition, but Wout is a pure cross enthusiast. He indicated he wanted to race. We discussed it, weighed everything up, and we will be fully behind Wout."

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