"Things didn't go as I wanted" - Wout van Aert admits this year has been a mental struggle

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."