"That would be a bit much for him" - Belgian national coach accepts Wout van Aert's decision to not race World Championships

Wout van Aert has had a long season and no true rest for many months already. Taking this into consideration, the Belgian will not be participating neither in the Rwanda World Championships and Ardèche Europeans - where the climbers will be favoured, on both occasions.

"Wout informed me right after the Tour. We spoke a few times during the Tour, including with his coach Mathieu Heijboer, and even before the Tour, it looked like it would be a no-win," Serge Pauwels shared with Sporza. The Belgian national coach made the effort to convince the Visma rider to still participate in the events, but the answer was ultimately not the one he hoped for.

Van Aert revealed his calendar for the rest of the season today, and it will end with the Super 8 Classic in late September. "It's a shame, of course. Someone like Wout could definitely have been a contender at the World Championships in Rwanda if the conditions were favorable. And if he hadn't been able to win himself, Wout would have been a very important player within the team."

"The European Championships are actually even tougher than the World Championships. In the Drôme and the Ardèche, a truly unique climbing course is laid out. A climb of about 20 minutes is included three times, and another climb reminiscent of La Redoute is tackled six times. I think Wout's focus was more on the World Championships, although the European Championships would also have been within his capabilities," he argues.

The form the Belgian showed at the end of the Tour was very promising but ultimately unsustainable. "Of course, I respect his decision. I've talked to him about it several times. In the winter, his initial feeling was that the World Championships would be too tough for him. And the European Championships are, in principle, even tougher. Yet, I was able to convince him to some extent at that point to consider both championships. The agreement at the time was that we wouldn't make a decision until after the Tour."

With the World Championships, besides very difficult, taking place in Rwanda with the heat and altitude also present, it requires very specific preparation. "But his buildup to the Tour was already in several phases, with the spring and the Giro. It was already a very tough season, and of course, he wants to be back in top form for next year. Wout really needs a good buildup now. On the outside, we obviously see a Van Aert who finished the Tour fantastically and who seems to be improving in terms of fitness. But that's not how it works".

"You can't just place the Wout who won on the Champs-Élysées in Rwanda," Pauwels admits. "After the Tour, he needs some decompression. Moreover, the World Championship in Rwanda requires specific preparation in terms of altitude and heat. These are factors that really play a significant role. As a rider, you have to be able to prepare for that; it's understandable that that would be a bit much for him."