Van Aert and his 5 cyclo-cross races: "Competing in 10 races during the holidays would not do me any good"

Wout van Aert has completed his first cyclo-cross with the Azencross in Loenhout. The Belgian of Visma | Lease a Bike claimed fourth place in the Kempen region, but more importantly, he had a good feeling about the race and ensured that more than 15,000 people had a pleasant day. The village, with a population of 4,000, was brimming with spectators due to the Christmas holidays and Wout van Aert's return.

The 30-year-old Belgian was victorious ten years ago during his first elite race in Loenhout, ahead of Mathieu van der Poel. On Friday, things were reversed, and Van der Poel won his fourth of the season. Was Tom Meeusen still present in the top ten on December 30, 2024? Tom Meeusen was third then and now 14th, while younger versions of Gianni Vermeersch and Tim Merlier were also back in the picture in Loenhout. Sven Nys was there in 2014, but now it was up to his son Thibau.

Nevertheless, anno 2024 revolved mainly around Van Aert, who set aside some time for the press a little after eleven in the morning. With some nervousness in his legs and head, he told them candidly. "I'm nervous, but that's always when you race again after a long time. I don't necessarily refer to the performance because I don't have the greatest expectations. But there is always a lot on your mind when you come here to the cyclo-cross. There is also a technical aspect to cyclo-cross: I haven't raced at that speed for a long time. That gives some added stress."

He was supposed to return on Monday in Mol, but acute stomach flu prevented him from doing so. As a result, Van Aert's number of cyclo-cross races this winter was further reduced from six to five. Why don't we see him in action more? "I didn't want to ride too many races anyway, so I could still train properly. Then I looked at the cyclo-cross races that suit me and the recovery time. That's how I came to a bit of a compromise," Van Aert said of the choices he and his team Visma | Lease a Bike made.

"I would find it very unfortunate to ride few races with a good level of form. However, I also feel that the form is not there as usual. It would also make little sense to participate in ten races. I would only get worse during the holidays," continued Van Aert, who will also not ride the Belgian and World Championship this winter. "It is a pity I had to skip the Belgian Championship in Heusden-Zolder because that course suits me well."

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How is Van Aert's knee doing? "It took a lot of work"

So anyway, December 27 was the day Van Aert made his first reappearance. Almost four months after September 3, the day he broke his knee in the Vuelta a Espana. There is hardly any residual damage from that, both physically and mentally. "It was good to take a few months off. I'm hungry again for the season to come. The way I feel now, it won't be a problem. I don't feel discomfort; there's just a little difference in strength. That recovery has taken a lot of work."

"On stage, my metrics weren't bad, but I notice that I don't always recover as well," he continues. "It's still a bit of balancing. It took me longer in November to ride around at a normal level. That longer inactivity took care of that." This may also work through into the spring, where details will undoubtedly come into play. "The approach from last year is not possible because of the consequences of that crash. You can't copy it anyway, but we will continue to follow the same progressive approach. We want to get better step by step, whereas we used to peak in cyclo-cross."

So that peak was not there now, so Van der Poel could beat him in Loenhout. "What Mathieu is doing is impressive. In all races, it's like old times. Unfortunately for me, turning it into a duel is not a goal. I hope it goes well and I can ride the race with a good feeling. I'm not going to surrender, but realistically, he's outperforming me," Van Aert said before the race.

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Van Aert now takes a short break from cyclo-cross 

In the morning, Van Aert already said the day would be suitable for him if he made it to the finish. "I can't be dissatisfied. I have nothing to prove, and I'm just looking forward to competing again and challenging myself," said the Visma | Lease a Bike man. Afterward, he reaffirmed that. "I felt it, and that was rewarding. I felt good in that first lap in itself. But when Mathieu accelerated, I did notice that technically, I could not follow."

Ultimately, a crash in the final lap prevented Van Aert from finishing on the podium. "Too bad because I could have been riding for second or third place. But oh well, I'm satisfied with how things went. I had a successful day; it was great," said the proud Van Aert. Those people won't see him in action next week, as his next race is scheduled for January 4 in Gullegem.

That means Van Aert will skip Besançon, Diegem, Baal, and Koksijde. Instead, he plans longer training sessions. After that, he will compete in Gullegem for the second stage with his team Visma | Lease a Bike and Dendermonde a day later. The other cyclocross races on his program are those in Benidorm (January 19) and Maasmechelen (January 25).

Read also

Wout van Aert doesn't blame Thibau Nys after crash in final lap: "A fan was hanging completely over the course"

Even Van der Poel can feel exhausted, but how he travels to Besançon can make a difference: "Oops, has that been leaked already?"

🎥 Van der Poel makes rare mistake during Loenhout recon and wishes rival Van Aert good luck

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