Wout van Aert has announced his cyclocross calendar will begin in early December, opting to debut later and race less than expected. His January schedule and participation in the UCI Cyclocross World Championships on February 5 are still to be confirmed.
Last week the Flemish media suggested that Van Aert would kick off his cyclocross campaign at the X2O Trofee Kortrijk-Urban Cross on Saturday, November 26 and race until the World Championships in early February. However, Jumbo-Visma have announced that Van Aert will race just seven times before the end of 2022, starting with the Antwerp World Cup race on December 4.
That will delay the much-expected showdown with major rivals World Champion Tom Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers) and Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck).
Pidcock will make his debut this weekend in the Merksplas Superprestige race, while Van der Poel will debut on November 27 at the World Cup in Hulst.
The big-three showdown is finally expected to happen in Dublin for the World Cup race on December 11, before all three riders join their teammates and train for the road race season in Spain.
Jumbo-Visma will hold their official presentation in Amsterdam on December 22. Van Aert will return to cyclo-cross racing the day after at the Exact Cross Mol – Zilvermeercross, then ride the UCI World Cup in Gavere on December 26, the Heusden-Zolder and Diegem Superprestige races on December 27 and 28, respectively, and the Exact Cross Loenhout-Azencross on December 30.
Jumbo-Visma did not reveal Van Aert’s race schedule for January but he is expected to defend his Belgian title in Lokeren on January 15, before perhaps finalising his form for the World Championships at the World Cup in Benidorm, Spain, on January 22, all while doing some key road race training.
This year’s World Championships take place in Hoogerheide, Netherlands, where Van Aert is expected to target a fourth rainbow jersey.
However, the later date on February 5 encroaches on Van Aert’s road training and early-season racing as he prepares for the spring Classics. He is expected to make his season debut on the road at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad on Saturday, February 25, as he did this year when he won with a solo attack.
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