Whilst Wout van Aert has had incredible moments in 2023, both in his cycling career and in his personal life, the Belgian has now admitted there have been times of real struggle and mental turmoil.
Speaking to Het Laatste Nieuws, van Aert recaps a rollercoaster few months. "The Tour was intense, immediately afterwards the birth of Jerome and then immediately the World Championships," says the 28-year-old Belgian of Jumbo-Visma. "It was not easy to focus on the racing after that birth."
The most defined low point for van Aert however, came at the Tour de Suisse, not helped by the tragic death of Gino Mader. "After that bad luck in Roubaix I felt like shit, but I didn't lose sleep over it for long. The biggest mental dip was after the Tour de Suisse," van Aert recalls. "Things didn't go as I wanted. I wasn't feeling well at the time and I took a few days of rest physically and mentally."
As always when talking about Wout van Aert however, Mathieu van der Poel is never far from a mention. "If you see the attack Mathieu has on his best days, it doesn't seem like a good tactic for anyone to ride with him because at some point you will be left behind," the Belgian jokes, full of praise for his great rival. "From now on, not only I, but also other leaders will watch the situation and let it be done."
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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