"Teammates are free to tell me if they think I've done something wrong" - Wout van Aert's advice on how to be a good team leader
Cycling
One of the biggest names in modern cycling, more often than not, when Wout van Aert races he is team leader. Handling the weight of expectation can be difficult though, and as such isn't for everyone. According to Van Aert, good leadership needs open and honest communication.
"In our team culture, everyone is allowed to be critical," the Belgian explains to Sport Knack magazine about how the team leaders and the domestiques combine for success at Team Visma | Lease a Bike. "Teammates are free to tell me if they think I've done something wrong. I appreciate that too, because that's how I learn. And that's what it's all about: making progress."
According to Van Aert, this team culture owes a lot to former staff member Merijn Zeeman, who recently departed for a new challenge at Dutch football team at AZ Alkmaar. "From the start, he gave me a distinctive role in the team. I even think that he ascribed to me a greater role, as a leader, than I initially realised," Van Aert recalls warmly of the mentor-type role played by Zeeman. "He gave me freedom, thought it was important that I was there and made my voice heard. He even admonished me: 'Wout, if this is your opinion, you have to say it yourself to your teammates. That makes it stronger.'"
That seems to have worked too. Previously, Van Aert has been described by teammate Bart Lemmen as one of "the absolute leaders of Team Visma | Lease a Bike" alongside Jonas Vingegaard.
"I have always been assertive. A quality I inherited from my parents. They also say what is on their minds," Van Aert adds on the topic of leadership. "Saying your opinion outspokenly and directly, it fits in with Dutch culture. I may have done it there in a more 'polite' way than before. Also because I was effectively listened to when I raised something. Real leadership has grown from there."
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- Funny that they shorten women’s races but have no qualms about letting U23 do the same distances.Jumpyjohn23-03-2025
- Why is that relevant when discussing speed?Mistermaumau23-03-2025
- But he wasn’t the only one ;-)Mistermaumau23-03-2025
- Obviously the questions are more important to some here than to them or the team so I suggest looking for answers instead of asking questions between ourselves. We’ll probably get them unless someone actually goes to ask the protagonists themselves. Here are some starters : They like riding together; they have their own rivalry that helps bring out the best in both; they might get more points helping each other compared to racing separate races. In any case, unless we hear MJ complaining about it, I don’t think it’s going to change, it’s the Sepp Kuss syndrome all over again, fans lobbying against the will of the rider.Mistermaumau23-03-2025
- Mine goes to MVDP for entertaining us all year round :-) Stellar race, Ganna impressive in his own way as many predicted after some oddly lacklustre times.Mistermaumau23-03-2025
- i remember when not too long ago mathieu was regarded as a real tactical knucklehead. i’m not sure that was ever quite accurate, but it’s certainly the case that over the years he has become a real master tactician. in the biggest races, van der poel rarely makes choices that don’t fully optimize every specific advantage he has.OCexile23-03-2025
- Whatever the result, I believe the strategy by UAE to launch Pogacar was absolutely the right one. Unfortunately, they just were not able to execute it the way they must have planned, being all over the place at the start of the Cipressa.Cooldude23-03-2025
- They are without doubt not just the best two classics riders of this generation, but amongst the best of all time. MvdP is more suited to MSR and PR (which Pog has yet to race), while Pog is now almost untouchable at LBL and Lombardia. RVV is the only one where both basically have an equal chance to win.Cooldude23-03-2025
- bravissima!
maria2024202423-03-2025 - According to Tadej's Strava upload, he went up the Cipressa at an average speed of 37.6kph. Rocket ship! He did the 5.63km verified 'Cipressa' Strava segment in 8:59 minutes, which has a 4.3% average grade and total elevation gain of 229m. Naturally, he got the Strava KOM.Pogboom23-03-2025