We got a bike race, folks! On Sunday, Wout van Aert shocked ‘cross fans when he announced he would, in fact, be racing the cyclo-cross world championships this Sunday in Liévin, France. Mathieu van der Poel said he was surprised by the decision, as van Aert is not the kind of rider to change plans, but he welcomes the news.
Change of plans
After discussing with his coaches and team, the Belgian star decided to dive into the action, bringing much-needed firepower to the race. Van Aert mentioned that he felt good and had a solid winter of preparation. Although the world championships hadn’t been on his radar until recently, after Maasmechelen, his Belgian team coach and his coach at Team Visma – Lease a Bike all agreed it made sense for him to race. He expressed excitement about competing in such a prestigious event, viewing it as a great opportunity to give himself a boost before focusing on bigger road goals later in the year. While his preparation had been different from usual, he was determined to give it his all.
His team fully supported the decision. Mathieu Heijboer, head of performance for Team Visma | Lease a Bike, noted that Wout is a true cyclo-cross enthusiast. When he expressed his desire to race, they had a discussion and carefully considered the options, ultimately deciding to fully back his decision.
Van der Poel is stoked
“It’s always fun to compete against someone like that,” van der Poel said to Sporza.
In 2023, the two riders – who were, and are, to say the least, on another level compared to the rest of the competition – had an incredible race. Van der Poel and van Aert came to the line and sprinted for the win.
“It will probably be another battle,” van der Poel said. “Although, nothing really changes for me. Wout will simply be my biggest challenger, as has been shown in the past.”
The current world champion said that it’s a pleasant surprise, and he’s looking forward to it.
“Of course I can still lose. Like everyone else, I start from scratch. I’m not afraid, but I take everyone into account. A championship is always something special,” he said.
The racing runs from Jan. 29 to Feb. 4, and Canadian Cycling Magazine will be on site. Check our website, X, Instagram, and BlueSky for full reports.
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Canadian Cycling Magazine…