“Kids bring home germs from school" - Greg van Avermaet claims family life might be behind rise in illnesses for struggling Wout van Aert

There's no doubting the fact that Wout van Aert has suffered a number of setbacks over the last couple of seasons, both thanks to on-bike crashes and off-bike illnesses. In an attempt to get to the root cause of the reasons behind this rise, former Olympic gold medallist Greg van Avermaet has come up with a theory.

With Van Avermaet joining the latest episode of the 'Wuyts & Vlaeminck' podcast for HLN, the 39-year-old Belgian and the host of the show Michel Wuyts discussed the struggles of Van Aert, fresh off the back of a couple of disappointing displays on stages 2 and 3 at the 2025 Giro d'Italia. “If the body isn’t cooperating, it’s wise not to push it even harder at the start of a Grand Tour,” Wuyts begins his analysis. “His base fitness this year was actually quite solid, but almost every spring he ends up with some inflammation or viral infection. It’s a recurring pattern.”

As mentioned, the pair also look for a reason for this rise in illnesses and such things. Putting forward differing theories, Wuyts points to his 30-year-old compatriot's intense training with the Team Visma | Lease a Bike team. “He’s extremely precise in how he trains and executes his sessions," Wuyts notes. "That kind of intensity can really wear the body down and make you more vulnerable.”

Whilst Van Avermaet agrees that training could be a potential reason, the former BMC star also has another idea for the cause. “With such extreme training, you lose some immune resistance and become more susceptible to viruses. But kids bring home germs from school or daycare, and of course, you don’t just ignore them," he explains, referring to the two children of Van Aert - Georges (4) and Jérôme (almost 2). "That inevitably cuts into your rest."

Van Avermaet also has his own experience to call upon in backing up his claim. "I experienced the same thing during my own career. Your immune system takes a hit, but you still want to train properly," he concludes. “At this stage in his career, Van Aert really needs to think about that carefully and talk it over with his coach. An athlete of his calibre doesn’t want to compromise on training or quality, but sometimes, that may be exactly what’s needed.”