Wout van Aert’s freshly announced cyclocross calendar listed only eight races, and notably not the world championships in Hulst, The Netherlands. Yet Visma – Lease a Bike is not exactly closing that door completely. After Monday’s schedule reveal, the team now admits that a late addition—just as in previous years—remains possible.
According to Wielerflits, head of performance Mathieu Heijboer struck a far more transparent tone than last winter, when the squad spent months denying any world champs intent before Van Aert ultimately chose to race. This time, Heijboer said he’s “not saying a full no,” adding that “the door is slightly ajar” and that any decision will come further down the line. For the moment, he emphasized, the worlds “are not part of the plan.”
The obstacle is the same every season: timing. Hulst sits just ahead of the spring classics, and the team wants to avoid compromising the Belgian star’s road buildup.
“It’s always a dilemma,” Heijboer said, adding they’ll only judge the feasibility after gauging Van Aert’s condition once the cyclocross block begins on Dec. 20
Following the Belgian Championships in Beringen, Van Aert heads to a training camp through 24 January. If he emerges ahead of schedule—recovering well, racing sharper than expected—Heijboer concedes the worlds could still “present itself as an opportunity,” provided it doesn’t disrupt essential preparation.
The comparison to last year is unavoidable. Back then “the door looked much more closed,” Heijboer said, before Van Aert pushed it open himself in the final week. This winter, it remains shut—but not locked.
In the 2024-2025 season, the Belgian only raced five times–but took a world cup win, and a solid second at the world championships behind Mathieu van der Poel. There too, he wasn’t supposed to race but decided to extend his ‘cross season by one more weekend. Van Aert had a rough start but plowed on to take silver. Could he challenge the Dutchman for gold, with another incredible duel like in years past?
The Alpecin–Deceuninck star is aiming to surpass Erik De Vlaeminck’s record seven world titles next year, and also recently announced his ‘cross season. It’s a little longer than van Aert’s.
The defending world champion shaping his winter around the World Cup, with Namur penciled in as a possible opener depending on his road condition….
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