"He has become such a star in recent years that I no longer speak to him" - Tom Meeusen recalls riding alongside Wout van Aert during youth

Wout van Aert is one of the biggest names in all of cycling today. His route to the top began at Telenet-Fidea and there, Tom Meeusen rode alongside the Belgian and he's recently recalled their time together.

"Wout rode in the youth categories at Telenet-Fidea. At that time, I was already in the elite team," Meeusen recalls in conversation with In de Leiderstrui of his time riding together with van Aert. "We do know each other well, but he has become such a star in recent years that I no longer speak to him. It's more that I see the amazing things he does on television."

Having grown apart in recent years, van Aert and Meeusen training together doesn't seem like a realistic proposal sadly. "Everyone has such a different program that it's difficult to really train together," he admits. "In the past, I often went out with David van der Poel, who has also now retired. Jim Aernouts and Bart Aernouts used to be training partners of mine, but of course, they have also stopped. Sometimes it's just a matter of who you come across on the road."

In terms of his own career, Meeusen, has no plans to stop any time soon. "I enjoy cycling, so if it's up to me, I'd like to race for another year. But if it's not profitable, it's not profitable. In that context, I am also honest with myself and the team. So, we'll see, although I do think there's still some room for growth. But again: I certainly won't be setting difficult goals to achieve."