There’s no sugar-coating it: Wout van Aert is enduring a
difficult start to the 2025 season. The Team Visma | Lease a Bike talisman has
yet to produce a signature ride this spring, and his subdued performance at the
E3 Saxo Classic, where rival Mathieu van der Poel put on a masterclass, has
sparked a wave of criticism in the Belgian media.
For a rider who has carried the expectations of a
cycling-obsessed nation for years, scrutiny is nothing new. But the intensity
of the reaction this time has prompted his teammates to speak out, with Matteo
Jorgenson offering an emphatic defence ahead of Wednesday’s Dwars door
Vlaanderen.
Jorgenson: “These people are human”
Jorgenson, winner of Paris–Nice in back-to-back seasons and
defending champion at Dwars door Vlaanderen, has been training and racing
alongside van Aert and is under no illusions about the pressure his teammate
faces.
"I see a lot on social media from any Belgian rider
that does anything, and just look at Wout's palmarès, he's one of the best
riders of all time," Jorgenson told VRT. "Then to have a few bad
races and to see comments, I sometimes think the public here has so much
passion and they want to see Belgians on top, and I understand that, but I
think some understanding should be had in any case because these people are
human."
The American went on to share a detailed picture of van
Aert’s recent training efforts on Mount Teide, reinforcing the point that
commitment, not complacency, lies behind the current form.
"I've been on [Mount Teide] in Tenerife, I know what
the process is like. He went there for three weeks, away from his two kids and
wife, to train. The whole time, he woke up in the morning, weighed his food,
went out and trained, came home, and weighed his lunch. I mean he lives for
cycling, and he's doing his best, and in the end, there's not much more you can
do."
The perspective offered by Jorgenson is an important one. In
a sport where results are everything and the calendar is relentless, even the
most dedicated professionals can be reduced to numbers. But as he reminded the
public, van Aert’s work ethic is not in question.
"I think that what I know about Wout is that he's an
incredibly hard worker and incredibly focused, and I have confidence that he'll
be ready for Flanders because he's spent three weeks preparing just like he's
done every single year, and he's in great shape."
Team Visma | Lease a Bike head of racing Grischa Niermann
also weighed in, calling for patience and perspective. With the Tour of
Flanders and Paris-Roubaix looming, the Dutch team is well aware of the stakes,
but they’re also trying to protect their riders from burning out under
pressure.
"Wout is really hungry," Niermann told Cyclingnews.
"On the other hand, it's also about staying calm and confident, and there
are very important races coming up, but we also try to keep it simple and
remember it's just racing. When we want it too much, then it's also not going
in the right direction."
That sentiment captures a familiar tension in elite cycling:
the desire to win colliding with the need to remain process-driven. For van
Aert (labelled as the sport’s ultimate all-rounder but still missing that
elusive Monument win in Flanders or Roubaix) the pressure to finally deliver
this spring is immense.
Returning to the scene of the crash
Wednesday’s Dwars door Vlaanderen offers a crucial moment to
reset. It was at this very race last year that van Aert’s Classics campaign was
derailed by a brutal crash, an incident that also took out a huge chunk of the
peloton, and led to changes in this year’s course.
"It's a different race I think without Kanarieberg
[climb]," said Jorgenson, referring to the removed climb and descent that
played a role in the 2024 crash.
The course change could suit van Aert, offering a slightly
less chaotic environment to rediscover rhythm and confidence. For both rider
and team, it’s an opportunity to rebuild morale ahead of Sunday’s Tour of
Flanders, arguably the biggest day of van Aert’s season.
"I really would also love to see Wout [van Aert] get a
result and get some confidence before Sunday, and I hope both of us can be in
the final together," Jorgenson added.
Read also
Fin MajorCycling Journalist
Fin Major is a UK-based writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2024. He is the site’s main writer for FAQs and evergreen explainers and has written around 2,000 pieces for the platform. Alongside this work, he focuses on in-depth analysis and covers the biggest races on the calendar, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, providing clear context around performance trends, tactics, and key storylines.
In his reporting, Fin uses reputable data sources such as ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. Outside of writing, Fin is an active cyclist, which supports his practical understanding of the sport and its demands.
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